Beneath Your Nose
by allidesu411
Summary: In our day and age the concept of vampires is an every day thing. But so you they exist and that there is a life threatening war occuring as we speak? No, you don't. Even though it is right beneath your nose.  Character list in Prologue  JROCK FANFIC
1. Prologue

I am going to stop you, right here and now. If you are completely and utterly turned off by the very concept of vampires, you should probably turn back now. I honestly understand your complex if you do, that damned Edward Cullen can take his sparkles and shove them… Ugh, I apologize, it's just that I generally do not show favor for anything that sullies the name of my kind, and Edward Cullen is the lowest form of slime to associate us with.

Any who, should you not care for vampires, you should close this right here. Right now. We may not be the sparkling, teenage wet dream that you now think of when you here vampire. We may be a secret society that lives among you, that fights to stay alive in discretion. We may be the opposite of almost everything you believe a vampire to be, but I do not blame your prejudices. I hold them against myself sometimes, blame our society I suppose.

If you are still here, still reading, and insisting on pursuing this story, I am now going to warn you; there will be blood. Well, obviously there will be blood, that is what we do. But I mean blood of the unsavory sort. There is a war happening right underneath your noses, and you remain oblivious. Yet, we live it. There will be drugs, there will be sex, and there will a lot of morbid moodiness. Us vampires are specialized in moodiness.

I will be frank as I end this here, I do not care if you like our tale or not. Because either way, it happened to us. We lived it, breathed it, and possibly even died for it. I will not spoil the tale by saying who, but you will see eventually.

We will all continue to battle on whether you choose to except our reality or not. It's what we do. We are the spawn of the world, the creatures of the night (as cliché as that actually is, and almost makes me vomit to say it), we will always be here. Whether you like it or not. So the next time you see a man walking down the street with his sunglasses on, sleeves pulled down, and walking with an undeserved air of self worth, you will know why. And that is all I will say.

My name is Yuu Shiroyama and welcome to our tale. The tale that you lived through without even knowing. It was right beneath your nose.

...

Okay, I promised a character list and I have decided to narrow it to bands so I don't get people confused by names. Here they are:

The Gazette

Moix dix Mois

Vamps

Screw

D=out

Dio

Miyavi

SuG

Screw

Alice Nine

Mucc

Dog in the PWO

Sugizo

An Cafe

Plastic Tree

Dir En Grey

Versailles

More are subject to be added. Yes, this will be a jrock orgy of epic proportions (not entirely literal there).


	2. Briefing

"So I am guessing that Chiyu is a little preoccupied," the short brunette muttered with something like fake interest. His fingers were laced in front of him, lime green gator boots propped on the black mahogany table, radiant golden eyes glaring at his two most important subordinates.  
Aoi scratched his head roughly, agitation lacing his every move. "Seems that way," he spat, "I really don't know why you are keeping him around, Ruki."  
Reita slouched against the arm of his chair. He yawned, bored with his surroundings. "He is good at what he does, that's why," he said, un-amused with the same old conversation. Ruki just hummed in agreement before Reita asked, "Now, what the hell are we doing here this early." He added a glare at the just setting sun, that taunted him, outside the panoramic window that encompassed the room.  
Ruki nodded, pulling his feet from the table, he fixed his metallic copper suit jacket and waved a hand in the air. A little man dressed in bright baggy clothes ripped a large pair of headphones off of his ears and placed folder in front of Ruki stepping back formally. Ruki rifled through the documents with a mutter, "Thank you, Shinpei." With a sigh he pulled out a paper, "Let's start with the formalities, shit we already know."  
Aoi and Reita leaned forward to see the paper Ruki had laid down in front of their center from across the circular table. A man, well it didn't honestly look like a man, but it was, that they knew, stared at them from the large photo. Frills of a collar wrapped liberally around his neck and led down to the dress he wore. "Mana," Ruki pointed the obvious out, "is increasing his feminine exterior." A photo replaced the first and showed a group of gothic-lolita dressed men and women. "His supply of drug runners doesn't seem to end," Ruki rolled his eyes in annoyance, "As soon as we dispose of the old, new are put in their place. He seems to have and endless supply of his little Lolita minions." Ruki pulled out another photo and laid it a top the other. A syringe of cobalt blue liquid sat amid a pool of white pills. "As far as we know, the contents of _**limpid**_ have not changed yet," he said pointing at the syringe.  
"Have we found out any other side effects from this fucked up heroine," Reita asked.  
Ruki shook his head, "No. From what we can tell it is still the equivalent of drinking a bottle of arsenic. Still has no effects on humans though, only vampires. Once the tolerance to the high is built, the loss of the brain kicks in and instincts take over."  
"Causing mayhem and slaughter," Reita finished, knowing the rest of the schpeal.  
Ruki nodded and Aoi pointed at the white pills in the photo, "What is with these."  
"Helios."  
Aoi was confused, "Helios? What does that have to do with any of this. It is just a severe skin pigmentation."  
Ruki nodded again, "The one thing we have discovered is that Mana is using Helios in the new batches of___**limpid**_. The problem with that is it's easily accessible, we all have to take it to survive, so he has, yet again, an endless supply."  
Reita sighed angrily pulling his forefinger and thumb to his brows, "I really fucking hate this guy."  
Aoi laughed and relaxed in his chair, watching Ruki pull another photo out. Reita pulled his hand from his face to look at the new evidence. "Done with formalities. This is your new project," Ruki said, slapping the photo down.  
Reita picked the photograph up and Aoi leaned over to examine the picture. A large group of biker jacketed men took up the majority of the photo, the gleaming unnaturally colored eyes told them they were dealing with their own kind. From the center a girl stared at them over her leather jacket covered shoulder, bright purple irises shining in the glare of the lights around her. Black hair cascaded down her shoulders and she held a stance of authority. Behind her stood a shorter brown haired girl, she wore blue jeans and a black military jacket with brass adornments. The air around her showed she felt an entitlement to be standing next to the other as her turquoise eyes gleamed through the photo. Before the first girl stood a man who was honestly as attractive, if not more so in Aoi's opinion, as the girls were. His strawberry blonde hair flipped away from his face, leather jacket, to match the girl, clung to his body perfectly. His glare pierced the page with a light blue shade. "Okay, I give. This is pretty decent eye candy, but who the hell are these people?" Reita asked with a wave of his hand.  
Ruki folded his hands in his lap. "These are the Kabuki Boys. The most feared and prestigious cycle racing gang in the country. They own the racing track on the lower east side, well their leader does. In the center is Airi, their leader. Her gift is mind control, to what extent is unknown to the public."  
"Wait, a girl leads the Kabuki _Boys_?" Aoi asked.  
Ruki laughed, "It seems so. But don't let the girl part fool you. She seems to be what most people would call blood thirsty. She will do anything necessary to protect her gang. People have gone missing for crossing them wrongly. From what we gather, she is gifted in hand to hand combat, and makes sure all of her members can defend themselves in the very least."  
"The girl beneath her is called Hana, she just seems to be a friend to Airi. Her gift is mental persuasion. She doesn't ride nor race. She has a car and driver whenever she is with the gang. She is kept around for something, but we have not found out what, just yet."  
Reita and Aoi stared at each face while their boss explained their backgrounds, trying to figure out what they had to do with anything.

"The man you are obviously enraptured with is named Uruha," Ruki continued. "He is Airi's right hand man, she is rarely anywhere without him. When she isn't present, he is the next in command. He races and is rarely defeated. Uruha's gift seems to be agility, at full throttle he can not be seen by the human eye. He is a blur to vampiric senses when at top speed."  
Ruki pulled another file out and handed it to Aoi. Reita leaned to look without placing down the other photo. A tall gangly man stood on a stage next to a small girl in the photo. His hair jutted out in various colors, tattoos hung out of the tank top he wore, and piercing adorned various points on his face. He seemed to be in mid movement, possibly waving the people in front of him on into action. The girl was tiny, compared to the large man, and held a microphone. She ran a hand through her blonde and pink hair, piercings riddled her face much like the man's, most predominant was the ring that hung from the center of her nostrils. Crowds cheered them on in the foreground, while smoke from engines filled the air.  
"That is the race track I was speaking of. It is nonchalantly called Death Valley by the people, possibly for concentrated amount of vampires that rule the attendees. It is not an official name. Various gangs reside and race there on a daily basis. Gang rivalries, vendettas, and allies all happen in the same old cliché way you would imagine. Along with the track there is also a bar, stage as you can see, and makeshift hospital ward." Ruki adjusted himself in his seat before continuing, "The male is named Miyavi, the female is Megumi. They run the festivities on a night to night basis, referring to Airi, or the other two, on all matters. It is hard to tell from the photos, but their natural irises both burn a hot pink hue. Their gifts are unknown to us, but the girl has been known to jump anyone who hits a nerve, violently beat them in fact. Often to the point that the victim is unrecognizable. Miyavi seems to keep the peace 90% of the time, we feel that has to do something with his gift. He is usually the only one who can put a stop to Megumi's massacres."  
The pair examined the people that stared back at them taking in any detail that could help them for whatever purpose these photos served. Aoi finally caved when Ruki made no move to continue. Taking the page from Reita, he pushed both of the documents back towards their boss and asked, "So why are we being introduced to these people?"  
Ruki took the papers and added them, in alignment, with the rest of the stack. "Death Valley is a highly vampiric populated area. Camui has reason to believe that _**limpid**_ is being run heavily on its premises, and some things just don't seem to add up with our observations and his information."  
"I don't know why you trust that guy this much. I wouldn't trust Gackt as far as I could throw him. Even if he is supposed to be with the police," Reita spat.  
Ruki sighed, "I don't. That is why you are here. We need to know if the drug is being processed through the gang bangers that roll through Death Valley. And if they are we need to know how to infiltrate and exterminate."  
"So we are going undercover?" Aoi half asked, half whined.  
Ruki shook his head. "Not exactly. You," he spoke towards aoi, "Will track her," he pointed at the black haired girl, "stay at a distance and find out what her routines are, why Hana is kept around, and whether or not they are a threat to us." He turned to Reita, "You will enter the track and observe, do whatever you have to in order to assimilate, but remain unnoticed."  
Reita's brows folded in pensive thought, "Wait, why aren't we trying to get into the Kabuki Boys? That is normally what we are here for."  
Ruki rolled his eyes, "Have you not been listening? I need you two and can't afford to have you falling off the face of the earth. These people can sniff out traitors like rotting fish. You wouldn't stand a chance."  
"How do you know that?" Reita pressed feeling a blow to his dignity.  
Ruki sighed again, becoming aggravated, "Camui seems to have already attempted to send men in undercover. The last thing they heard from them was a pleading phone call that was too short to trace. They are now M.I.A."  
Reita rolled his eyes, "This all seems a little ridiculous."  
"I said the same thing, until Shinpei had a close call for himself," Ruki said blatantly causing the two to raise eyebrows. "Shinpei is our paparazzi of sorts. Yes?" the pair nodded, "Well, he is the one who took these photos. The last one he took was the one of Uruha, Hana and Airi. Shortly after, he was persued and almost taken. Luckily they underestimated Shinpei's strength and only sent a few men after. Tora was close at hand to help his escape as well. Tell them, Shinpei."  
The small man shuffled forward slowly, "There were five of them. I knocked three of them out before another hit me with a baseball bat. If Tora wasn't there I would've been caught."  
"But you never get caught. How did they see you to begin with? You must have made a mistake?" Aoi asked, still in disbelief.  
Shinpei shrugged, swiping a hand back and forth over the jagged edged of his ponytail nervously, "I have no clue. I was on a roof two blocks over. I felt funny after taking the photo, they had an odd look about the three of them, so I left. Next thing I knew there was someone holding a cloth over my mouth trying to suffocate me."  
Aoi just looked back at Ruki, whose expression plainly read I told you so. Ruki coughed, "If you two don't believe what you see and hear, go as an audience tonight. But, in three days time I expect progress in the tracking. I need this information."


	3. Dark Alleyways

His boot collided with the puddle below him, causing water to splash loudly against the concrete, but he ignored it and continued with his pursuit. The scent of lilies and fruit began to flee his nostrils, so he quickened his pace as to not lose the trail. That was all Aoi needed, to lose the scent of her when he was so close.  
The smell of her swirled in his senses, feeling comfortable with the ground he had gained, he paused at the end of an alleyway and heaved in a breath. There was the flowery smell of her he had been tracking for weeks, but he needed something more than that. Aoi inhaled deeply again, craning his neck to the side to help him dismiss the unimportant smells his nostrils were picking up. The feeling of the cold droplets of water on his skin were beginning to break his concentration. Throwing his hood over his head, Aoi thought he had lost the trail, but in an instant there it was, the smell of tobacco and motor oil. He inhaled deeply once more, the new scent intertwined with the old. Willing his brain to memorize the smell, he turned down the alley to his left to follow his objective.  
Aoi allowed his senses to leave their restraints and his feet moved faster beneath him. His instincts took over his normally necessary confines that all vampires learned to keep in place around ordinary humans. His animalistic nature flew through his skin in stalk of his makeshift prey, eyes now gleaming the god given color that was naturally his. Voices filled his ears while streetlights flew by him showing the creamy pearl color of his irises in the dark. Men's voices littered his mind as he skidded to a stop near the edge of a new alley a couple of miles from his previous point; peering around the corner of a brick building, he found the object of his chase.  
In the center of the alley stood the lily scented girl, hand wrapped around a switchblade, shoulders hunched beneath a leather jacket. Her frame was silhouetted by headlights, judging by the sound of the engines, they were bikes, the bikes she was so infamous for racing underground. At her feet cowered a man, shivering from fear, blood spilling from a slash across his cheek and out of the corner of his mouth. He whimpered and attempted to scramble backwards, but was yanked forward by his collar. The girl was bent at the middle holding tightly to the man's shirt with her free fist, face, inches from his, snarling. He shook his head and cried, "I swear, Airi, I didn't mean to…"  
"Who did you tell?" she bellowed at him, to which he only answered with a cry. Four men stood in a half circle behind her, laughing at the mess the man was in her grasp. "Fine," she spat pulling the man upwards and tossing him towards one of the large men behind her. She spun on her heels and glowered at him while he writhed in the man's grasp, "We will have to find out the hard way, I guess. I always thought you were better than this, Haku."  
He shook his head furiously, blood staining the blonde hair that fell in his face, "I swear, Airi, I swear….," he sobbed.  
Airi's voice softened, "Then just tell us."  
"I can't," Haku cried.  
She sighed in agitation, roughly grabbing his chin in her hand, wrenching his face to look at her. With mock worry she said, "Now do you see what kind of position you are putting me in, dear Haku…"  
"Airi!" a thin blonde man ran through the motorcycles to be silhouetted at her side. She released Haku and straightened up to meet the scrambling man. "Fuzz are coming, someone saw the bikes," he whispered to her.  
"Fuck," she spat. Flipping the blade closed, she began spitting orders, "Kouki, take him." Haku cried for help before the man holding him could make a move. With only enough time to emit one cry, the large man named Kouki stabbed the pulse on Haku's neck with his fingers. The smaller went limp in his grasp as he was tossed over the larger's shoulder and walked towards an empty cycle. "Gladly," Kouki said revving his engine as he straddled the seat with the small man still over his shoulder.  
"Scatter, no one gets caught or they are left behind," she yelled to the rest. Turning to the man that came to her aide, "Uru, you come with me."  
Seconds later, sirens wailed far too close to Aoi for his senses to enjoy. He flung backwards against the wall he hid behind and slid into a deep doorway next to him. His hood fell from his head and he clutched his ears in a feeble attempt to ease the sting in his mind. His very brain itself seemed to ring and his vision blurred with pain as the sirens seemed to be feet from him even though they were almost a block away. Soon blue and red lights flew past his blurred line of sight, Aoi was focusing too hard to regain control of his senses and dull them to their normal being, to notice he was now joined in the dark doorway by two others. He could only feel the heat of a body and the slick, cold feeling of metal against the bare flesh of his neck. The scent of lilies flooded his mind to join the ringing agony and Aoi groaned in pain. He could both feel and hear the deep inhale of the body against him before…  
"They are coming, we have to go," it was the voice of the man who had sounded the alarm to begin with. Uru, he thought in his stupor. Just as quickly as he had felt it appear, the body was gone.  
Aoi fell to the ground in meditation the second he was released. Pulling his mind inside of himself, his body shut down and he could not see anything but a black abyss. Aoi could not smell anything, not hear a sound, nor feel the ground he sat upon. With one deep inhale his body flew back into operation and he could see cop cars whizzing back the way they came by the door he hid inside. The smell of the rain mixed with gasoline fumes filled his nose and the dampness of the ground permeated his pants.  
Taking a second to realize he had just come in contact with the enemy and survived, Aoi laughed out loud and stretched his muscles to comfort them. He stood with a grin to himself, he may have just came face to face with death, but she wasn't going to get away that easily. "First I need the idiot twins," Aoi said to himself before reaching into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. Dialing the all too familiar number, he listened to the ring and laughed at the instantaneous answer from the other end.  
"Where the fuck are you?" Reita barked into the receiver.  
Aoi laughed, "Tell Chiyu to hurry up, I am on my way, I know he isn't there yet."  
Reita sighed, "You better meet us at headquarters, I can't get a hold of him." Then nothing was heard but dial tone.


	4. Here are the Basics

Alright then. I am goin' to give you the low down on what is going on here. No doubt you are confused as shit and need a little elaboration, and since Aoi likes to try and point out my uselessness, I am gonna help you out.  
First off, yes we are vampires. Everyone you have met, and mostly everyone you will meet, were and will be vampires. No we don't sparkle, and we definitely don't run around with capes. We aren't going to tell you about our savagely sharp fangs, because you can't see them on a daily basis. You see, all we normally use are our normal teeth, the god given ones that you have, we have too. Two sets of fangs descend from our gums when we feed or fight, purely out of instinct or if we just will them too. Those are the razor sharp babies we use to rip through flesh. This is some discovery channel special shit, I know.  
Second, you may have noticed the particulars about eye colors. We all have your ordinary blue, brown, green, and blah blah eye colors. But, when we are allowed to let loose and let our fangs down, we all have our individual iris color. Like the fangs, we just let them out. Usually these colors are distinct to each vampire, but there are repeats on vampire to vampire. We use them to help identify each other though, it's a shotty version of a vampiric fingerprint. Then there are the times when our eyes become black. I mean black. No iris, no pupil, no nada. The black state only happens in two situations. One, the thirst. When we become so thirsty that our body is dieing from malnutrition and our instincts take over and control us, the black out deal happens. So if you ever see this, pick up a weapon, running will do you no good. Two, battle. When vampires fight, we often have to resort to our gifts (we will get to gifts next). Here is the scene, all hope is lost. The other is stronger than you. You have physically been thrown through a brick building and are laying beneath the rubble. Time to pull out the trick card. You allow your instincts to come out for a shining second and let that special ability of yours jump into play. Here is when the eyes will become black, but the irises of your vampiric color will show. It is pretty creepy when you first see it.  
Third is gifts. We will talk about gifts per vampire. You see, each vampire has their own special ability that the vampiric genes help bring out and into power. Some have a wider range of ability, like mind manipulation, and others are pin point exact. I once met a chick who could control metal, steel, aluminum, silvers, any form of metal, and shape it and use it to her will. It was kind of odd to see a bar stool turn into a set of hand cuffs flying through the air, but I think you get the idea. There are also things like speed, connection in eyesight that burns your mind, and being double jointed to the point that Gumby would be envious of you. If you don't understand it, I think that sparkling whatchyamacallit explains it over in his book.  
Next is bloodlust, ah good old bloodlust. It is the same as every movie, drama, and comic book ever told you. We need the blood to survive, otherwise we die of malnutrition. The only problem being that this need drives straight down to our genes. Our prime evil instincts kick in when we see it, smell it, hell, even hear the flow of it in your veins, and we are hard pressed to sub due it. I can't really explain it to give it enough justice, maybe narrator chick can later on.  
That probably woke up the question: how do you become a vampire? Give me a second to stretch because this may take a bit.

Vampirism isn't some sort of disease you contract through blood like Aids. You are born with vampiric genes and live with them through out your being. You may notice odd quirks, like you may be awesome at something (that could be your gift shining through), you could have addictive qualities (to people, places, or things, it doesn't matter), or you can simply be odd and hate the light. So take a good look at yourself, you could be a vampire. Either way, you either have the vampiric geane or you don't. To wake up your inner vampire. To wake up your vampiric genes you have to be bitten, and then you have to drink vampire blood directly after. Usually while the wound is still fresh. It has something to do with the clashing of genes throwing things out of whack and into place for vampirism. I don't know all of that happy horseshit, but now you know how it is done. Oh and there is no turning back, once you go vamp, you never go back. Heh, in all situations.  
Now, after you become a vampire, you more or less turn into a blood thirsty beast and have to be contained. So the government has people that track newly breds and subdue them. We call them the dog wardens. Original, I know. The snarling baby brats are then taken to places were they are taught to deal with the thirst and instincts so they can manage it and assimilate back into everyday life. It is usually a remote place with enough security to baffle Alcatraz, Azkaban, and even hell itself. Only vampires are allowed there, for their own good. Once the newbies pass the test, they can go home. It's kind of like the whole pregnant teenager getting sent to boarding school, type of thing. Keeping up with me so far? Good…  
Next, the whole vampire versus sun thing. We live in the daylight just like you do, but we need help. When you turn into your vampiric self you loose melatonin and literally become the most albino thing on the face of the planet. Liquid paper doesn't do it justice, just know that at our most vulnerable state, a couple of minutes in the open sunlight will fry us like an open flame to a hot dog. We can die from sun exposure. But, the ever so helpful government has manufactured us a drug called Helios that allows our skin pigmentation to stay in tact. This is how we live with all of you. Even though we prefer the night. And yes, we do sleep. While the sun is up usually. we still don't care for that burning ball of flames.  
And for the biggest situation, vampires and the man as Ruki likes to call them. We live among normal humans and no one really knows other than us and the government. The government and the places like hospitals have to know about us so we can actually coexist without major hinderance to our health. If we can't feed properly, there are blood banks open and ready for us to come in. Likewise, in the blood bank there is a list. This list has names of criminals that the government doesn't feel like dealing with anymore, and turns them over to us. We call this free ranging. As long as you don't have a criminal record yourself, you can sign up to feed without restrictions once a month, but the waiting list is long, so you normally only get in once every six months. Yes, this does mean we get to kill, but come on, who needs another cocaine dealer with no family ties or any mortal connections walking around and ruining society. You get their name, something with their scent, and are turned loosed like a glorified bloodhound (hehe irony) and hunt to feed. We didn't bring this list up yet, but I felt you should know about it for future reference.  
Now, you may be asking: why don't normal people know about vampires? Come on, the masses would be in shock for a while, then be all hunky dorey until some self righteous god loving freak declared war and then the torches and pitchforks would come out. The world can't handle the idea of our existence, so we remain incognito, and work hard to keep it that way.  
Moving on. What is it that we do? Ruki employs a large team of investigators that work for the city police force. We track, question, and deal with the hardened and vicious criminals that takes up too much energy for ordinary people in the PD to deal with. The main thing we have been dealing with lately is Mana and his drug running. Are you ready? 'Cause we are headed for the detailed stuff now.  
Soooo, Mana. This frilly son of a bitch appeared on the streets a couple of months ago and started peddling something called _limpid_. The po po went in and did their job and found out that he was refusing to sell to humans. Vampires went in and bought this little blue syringe and walked off like it was nothing. After taking druggies hostage and examining them over a period of time, we discovered that this stuff breaks down the restraints you are trained to psychologically build in your mind to block out the thirst. The amount of unnatural chemicals it takes to give a vampire a high, let alone warp their superior psyche, would kill a human in seconds. Then we found out that once the vampire is exposed to it for a prolonged period of time, they lose those restraints and revert back to their instincts. A.K.A they become a savage beast. Foaming at the mouth at the thought of blood and more powerful than a pack of rabid tigers.  
No one can seem to find Mana, and he has no attachments to any of his peddlers seeing as we dispose of them and they pop right back with more lacey bastards. Other than money, which doesn't seem to important to his workers, we aren't sure why he is selling limpid. About a month ago this hot shot Gackt Camui waltzed in to our humble little office space, and announced that we would have the help of any police force or government agency on our investigations of Mana, and has been up our asses ever since. We would have told him to shove it, which I think Ruki was sad he didn't, but Gackt didn't come from one of these dumpy little precincts. He came clad in a Versace suit and louis vuitton mules meaning business and business alone. He came straight from the government building himself. Even though he refuses to tell us who sent him. "The specifics aren't important," he said. Bullshit, the specifics are always important. That's why we are playing him like an overused fiddle, Ruki isn't one to be messed with lightly.  
And that about sums it up, you know what we know from here on in. Let's see if you can keep up.


	5. Chapter 5

The large hallway was empty, too empty for Reita's liking. It was never this empty. The only thing that could be heard in the vast expanse was the insistent tapping of Aoi's foot. "How are we still waiting for him?" Aoi barked the rhetorical question that they both knew the answer too. Reita just leaned against the wall opposite from his friend and stared at the painting across from him. The golden lit portrait of Hide in his ornate frame stared back at him as it usually did. The pink haired hero and other former members of the organization lined the walls of most of these halls. Reita could probably paint Hide himself by now, he normally waited in this same spot for Chiyu time and time again.  
Reita always thought Chiyu had the toughest job in the organization, for the most part. He wasn't putting his life on the line anywhere near as often as Aoi and Reita, but the kind of torture he went through was seriously mind numbing. That was exactly what Chiyu did, torture. Chiyu called it factual coercion, but it was torture none the less. Nobody knew what made him so good at what he did, but they figured it best not to ask, Chiyu didn't seem to know himself really. But anytime an un cooperative hostage came in, they were handed to Chiyu. The screams could be heard throughout their headquarters, but you learned to ignore them like a spoiled babies cry.

Ruki let Chiyu get away with a lot more than anyone else around. Simply because he seemed to be sympathetic to the pain Chiyu was inflicting on himself in the process. They had all witnessed, at one time or another, Chiyu screaming things he had heard in his sleep. You had to wake him up roughly when that happened or he would just keep going. Subconscious guilt was the only thing Reita could think to call it.  
A wail of sheer agony came galloping down the hallway and attacked their senses like a whirlwind. Reita closed his eyes and hummed a tune to himself, a trick he taught himself a long time ago. These people were here for a reason after all, he couldn't feel mercy for them while they were under his friend's scrutinizing blows. Aoi made a disgruntled face of revulsion and ruffled his hair harshly with both hands before turning to kick the wall loudly as the bellows found his ear drums. Aoi never stuck around during Chiyu's business, he never really knew how to handle it.

Time ticked by in misery as the howls of grief continued to hammer down the passageways of their second home. Aoi paced back and forth to the point of sweating to distract his mind and Reita was meditating and pulled within his own mind as workers of this and that sort made their way by with plug filled ears.  
Aoi froze in mid step as his ears were suddenly surrounded with nothing, not a thing. He sighed with his entire body, Thank God, silence. Reita was unaware of the change in events as Chiyu emerged from a door at the end of the hall. Aoi watched as he closed in on them, rubbing blood stained fingertips clean with a rag of pungent cleaner. His black and purple hair hung along his face in angles while his clothes hung loose on his body. Chiyu's shirt was splattered with the victims blood and it took all of Aoi's concentration to not stare at it. The burn in his stomach began to rile, it had been too long since he was able to properly drink.

"What's up boys?" Chiyu asked with a smirk he always wore. Shinpei seemed to come from nowhere offering Chiyu a clean t-shirt. Ripping the soiled shirt from his body gave Aoi the attention break he needed to kick Reita awake. Startled and suddenly alert, Reita stumbled to his feet, nodding a smile at his friend while he pulled the clean cloth into place on his chest.

"We need to go behind enemy lines. So we need you," Aoi said with arms folded across his chest.  
Reita laughed, "Doesn't seem right going in without you."

Chiyu shrugged, "Sounds good to me, gets me out of here for a while. I still need to be briefed on this whole thing. Where are we sneaking in unwelcome?"  
Aoi was already walking down the hallway towards the exit, "Nightclub downtown."

"Wait," Reita sped up to catch up pace, "What?"  
Chiyu fell in step behind Reita, "I am so down now. I don't even need briefing."


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't think it is the best decision to have a little Lolita watching guard over the front door like that," Chiyu said gripping the bottle in his left hand securely as he followed his friends down a dimly lit staircase with leather lined walls. At least it felt like padded leather. Reita's body tensed as he felt the sheer pressure of blood pumping life force that was pushing from the direction they were headed. Aoi just bopped down the staircase allowing his eyes to scan and take mental notes of what may be necessary later. An escape route was always necessary.  
"Yeah," Reita answered, "But you didn't see the meaty guy she roundhouse kicked in the face. Five seconds later all of her men in the room pounced and hauled him out."  
"I should have warned you about her, her name is Uta. She handles security," Aoi said half heartedly as he continued to memorize doors and footfalls around him.  
Reita scoffed, "Yeah I noticed the security part, seeing as none of us have weapons on us anymore."  
Aoi shook his head from his stupor, "Mmm, but this is just an observation mission. Besides it's not like we need weapons to fight."  
"If we are in enemy territory it helps," Chiyu piped from the rear.  
"This is the girl's place?" Reita asked.  
"Any clue as to why it's called Pink Mazquerade? Kind of the opposite of Kabuki Boyz if you asked me," Chiyu asked throwing his two cents in.  
Aoi nodded as he paused on the staircase just above the desired doorway at the foot of their path. The other two huddled near to listen and allow passersby through without intrusion. "I know Airi does own this, why or why the name, I couldn't say. Uta's men are all Kabuki Boyz but I can't really tell if she is with them. It appears to be though. All we have to do is linger and see if the targets show and what they do."  
Reita nodded and turned to lead the way, "Divide and conquer right?"  
Aoi nodded behind him, "Sounds good."  
Too bad they couldn't decide where to start once they reached the club's dance floor. Through the doorway at the foot of the ridiculously long staircase sat their destination. A grand hall sized room sat before them, the ceiling could not be seen for three floors. This lace must have been some form of sweat shop in its hay day, seeing as the walls were lined with two floors of metal walkways that resembled those of fire escapes. People riddled them as they danced and swayed to the music. Two staircases made of the same steel mesh stretched upwards to their counterparts above them on either end of the main entrance. The wall they had come through stretched the length of the room and was plastered with mirrors, some full sized and perfect, others pieced together like a mosaic. The shards of reflective glass that stretched out at their sides bounced back the lights that hung on the outer edges of the metal hanging walkways like a kaleidoscope for ravers. Dance floor took up the most space in front of them; a large, well staffed bar was busy bustling customers along the entire expanse of the wall to their left. The floors beneath them shown a black luster riddled with silver confetti.  
Aoi was busy taking everything in as Chiyu pointed out the stage along the wall opposite of them. It was large and grandiose with black velvet stage curtains that were pulled back to allow the center of the stage sight. The opening allowed by the fabric housed countless different sized television screens that seemed to be playing back both music video clips and scenes from the club itself in real time. A cage hung to the left of the screens and attached to the second floor walkway, this housed the DJ and his mixing tables, none of which were lack luster looking. Bass bumping synth tracks filled their veins as the sounds spilled the speakers that lined anywhere and everywhere possible in the walls around them.  
Chiyu's mouth hung open, "How the hell did a bunch of motorcycle gangbangers afford all of this?"  
Reita could only shake his head, "I have no clue." He turned to Aoi, "Hey, what are…" only problem there was no Aoi at his side, "What the fuck. Where did he go!"  
"So what is the plan of attack now, Sherlock?" Chiyu asked between sips of his beer he had received from the laced covered Uta in the front room.  
"Stay low and observe, that's Aoi's motto," Reita shrugged, it was the only thing he could think of at the moment.  
"Sounds good enough to me," Chiyu replied as he nodded in the direction he was taking and Reita broke off in the other.

Bodies lurched to beats that swelled around him while time passed slowly. Reita sighed and allowed the appendages to wash over him in the writhing orgy that was the dance floor. Nearly on the verge of calling it quits, his phone spasmed in his pocket.

_Message from Yuu:__  
__I'm on second floor balcony, stay put she is in the building_.

Reita looked upward and strained his eyes to see through the strobing lights. Aoi waved coyly from the balcony almost directly above him; with a smile he pointed a finger back at the door. Reita turned and was almost assaulted by the burning smell of lilies, it seared through his nostrils making his senses sting. As quickly as it had come, the burning sensation had changed to a melodic hum. He was never within this close of a distance to her during his time at the racetrack, her scent never really made itself known to him before, but that sure as hell was changed now. God, why did the scent feel that way, he thought holding his throat in his hand now. His confusion was distracted by his phone vibrating once more.

_Message from Yuu:__  
__Stop scratching your nose and pay attention!__  
_  
He huffed in anger and shoved his phone back in his pocket. The girl, Airi, stood in the doorway they had come through themselves. Surrounded by men of all sizes and shapes, her little pack must have averaged about 7 people. The man, Uruha, was nowhere to be seen. The tallest blond leaned down to her ear and said something. Her eyes continued to look over the crowd as she listened, a nod a second later sent half of her men into the crowd and the man directed the rest of his fellow Kabuki Boyz back up the stairs. There was no mistaking their involvement with the gang, the matching leather jackets were a dead giveaway, cliché but effective.  
Airi inhaled deeply once and jumped to the dance floor with both feet from the bottom step. It was almost...childish. Quickly she was sidling through the crowd, without difficulty, headed for the bar. Someone from behind it seemed to notice her and slid beneath the bar top barrier, cutting her off before she could reach the wooden countertop. Smiles were exchanged as she shrugged the jacket from her shoulders and handed it to the blond shag haired man. His phone was going off again, but Reita's mind was far too preoccupied at the moment.  
It was odd to see her smiling, she was always so serious when her riders were racing, she was all business at Death Valley. But such warm smiles here, not that her smile was what he was staring at. Her body hung in a cat like hunch, her black cargo pants hung on her hips and her center was exposed to the dancing lights seeing as her shirt cut off just beneath her chest. Long black sleeves covered the flesh on her arms to balance out the tattoo riddled muscles that were left for the eye to molest. Reita shook his head because that was exactly what he was doing. Good enough of a time to join Aoi on the balcony, someone was bound to see him gawking at their leader. He flipped his phone open once more.

_Message from Yuu:__  
__His name is Shou, the one with her. Coming to join me, ya perv?_

Reita scowled and bounded up the metal staircase towards his friend.


	7. Chapter 7

"What did I miss?" Chiyu laughed, plopping his bottle of booze on the railing in front of Aoi forcefully.  
Aoi glared at Chiyu and pushed the bottle back to the other with the back of his hand in disgust, "We aren't here to party, idiot."  
Chiyu shrugged and took another chug from the bottle before saying, "I know, just figured we ought to blend in."  
Reita ignored the grinning and glaring war going on steadily next to him, but continued to stare at Airi at the bar. Just when he thought it was becoming pervish to continue ogling at her the way he was, a reason to continue watching came at hand. Reita smacked Aoi's shoulder with the back of his hand and pointed the newly gained attention towards his own focus. A tall strawberry blond man had come behind Airi and took both of her shoulders in his hands. It didn't seem to be a malicious hold as he seemed to be massaging them when she leaned back and grinned, her gaze leaning backwards to see him. Shou just smiled and left to attend the bar as the beautiful man, dressed in body hugging black clothes, spoke something into her ear. She nodded and pulled away from him before leading the way through the crowd.  
Reita watched them part their way effortlessly and make their way towards the same staircase they themselves had used to reach their spot they were watching from. He asked Aoi, "No Hana?"  
The raven haired man broke his glaring concentration and shook his head, "Not with her, I think she is already in the building somewhere, I can sense her, I just can't find her." Aoi shrugged with a shake of the head, "I only found out where she was going regularly, I don't know much about her gang, other than a few members.."  
Chiyu's eyes narrowed as the pair wove their way through bodies and up the staircase, "He doesn't look like a gang member. The one with her. More like a toy," He threw the last of his drink back before slouching against the railing again, "Act natural boys, here they come."  
Aoi and Reita began to whisper about the people on the floor beneath them as the pair neared. Talking about an un related matter wouldn't oust them to the enemies as they glided by. A vampire could hear abnormally well, but couldn't normally detect false covers. Chiyu scanned the pair from the corner of his eye as they approached. Reita lost thought process when his eyes had made inadvertent contact with the girl. His cells gave the impression that they were all going into some sort of blissful fit, but why was there a lingering sense of fear in the pit of his stomach. Airi stared back at him in a way he couldn't rightly describe as she and Uruha made their way along the walkway. A predator marking her prey, was the only thought he had until she looked away and passed by them.  
Aoi could only see the male's long and lean body wrapped snuggly in black next to the girl's as they passed by. He watched over Reita's shoulder as they stopped at a door in the corner of the wall where the two balcony walkways met. The girl cocked her hip and the baggy black pants that hung on her hips swayed with the motion, but Aoi's breath almost hitched when the man turned and looked his dead in the eye. He waited next to the girl who was punching a code into a number pad beside the door frame. Aoi did manage to gulp as the beauty of the blond registered. Hair flipping out away from his face, heavy dark eye makeup shadowing his piercing glare, Aoi almost fell over when the man smiled at toothy grin at him momentarily before following the girl to the other slide of the sliding metal door. Reita's body had tensed as the pair had passed the trio, every cell in his body seemed to tingle for that flash of a moment, and disappeared as they walked through the door on the end of the walkway.  
"Hey, you okay?" Reita asked Aoi. He was still staring at the closed door the two had left through.  
Aoi shook his head and looked at Reita, "Yeah, fine."  
"HOLY FUCK!" Chiyu yelled loudly. The two jumped and whirled to look at him. He was grinning at them with a slightly shocked expression on his face, "I think I know her?"  
Reita scoffed, "You know her?" he asked, sarcasm lacing his voice. Chiyu laughed and pulled his phone out, pressing the scroll button while nodding. Reita rolled his eyes, "Then how?"  
Chiyu held a phone out to the pair and they leaned towards it, eyes squinting to focus on the small screen. There sat a picture of Chiyu himself with a girl wrapped around his neck, the girl was the Airi. Reita's jaw dropped at the sight of the girl and his friend smirking at the camera together. Aoi's face puckered in annoyance and Chiyu yelped as Aoi cuffed him over the head, "WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL US?"  
Reita had to add, "And how the hell do you know her?  
Chiyu massaged his scalp, shoving his phone in his pocket, "It's not my job to stalk people, it's yours," he whined at Aoi whose glare could have imploded the other on the spot. "And there has to be more than one chick with the name Airi… She's my ex-girlfriend."  
Reita's mouth fell back open in disbelief. Aoi simply massaged his brows with his thumb and forefinger before rolling his head back. He said in a matter-of-fact way as he stared at the ceiling, "I'm going to kill you. That's it. I'm just going to kill you."  
Reita could only stutter, "You have got…to be kidding…Right?"  
Chiyu shook his head, "Nope, she was a mechanic when we were dating, so the whole motorcycle gang thing wasn't impossible. She did own one."  
Aoi stared at him blankly, "You're a fucking moron."  
Chiyu didn't know what to say, so he responded, "Don't get mad at me because you failed at your little impress-the-boss-midget mission."  
Aoi's chest rose in a huff as he prepped to pounce, but was stopped abruptly by Reita who was yanking on the back of his shirt. He turned angrily preparing to spit something at Reita who had never moved from his slouched position against the railing, but was confused when all he saw was Reita hunched in the same way pointing towards Chiyu, staring and not looking to stop Aoi from his attack. Aoi could only follow the direction of the point, Chiyu already had and he couldn't seem to process at what was being pointed at. The group of men that had walked in with Airi stood against the wall feet from them, smiling as they all had turned to look at their little gang. What was confusing them wasn't the fact that the gang was watching them, well now they were walking towards them. They had planned for the worst, the worst being caught, as they obviously had, but they were still at a loss for words at the sight before them. What astounded them was that the one at the head of the posse was now someone they new. Someone who was almost a brother to them was apparently apart of their enemy.  
Reita stood upright as the traitor stopped before them and the rest of the men closed them against the balcony's edge with no chance of escape. Aoi could only wide eyed stare at the traitor before him, much like Chiyu who stood next to him, involuntarily tensed to pounce thanks to instinct. Reita shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels, "Didn't expect to see you here, Kai."  
The towering brunette with dread locks spilling from a high ponytail, simple adjusted the fingerless glove on his left hand while cheekily grinning his dimple filled smile. Kai looked up, with a sigh, at his friends, "I hoped I would never see you guys here either," he said as if he were confessing to a preacher.  
Aoi couldn't form words, and began to stutter as Kai and Reita watched him with furrowed brows, "T…tr…you're a goddamned traitor! No wonder you left the Organization!" he managed to get out.  
Kai shook his head sadly, "Not like you think, but now you have to come with me." He looked back at the equally large blond and pink haired man behind him and nodded in Reita's direction, "Kouki." The name was apparently an order seeing as Reita quickly found himself stuck in the giant man's grip as he fought uselessly against the vampiric restraint. Aoi and Chiyu were apprehended shortly after, putting up as much of a fight as they could without causing too much attention to be brought their way. These men were strong, trained fighters no doubt, and the fact they were all of their own kind didn't help them at all. The trio kicked and began to flail as they were being dragged towards the same door that Airi and the man had gone through. Reita refused to not put up a decent fight though.  
In one swift bounce in the air, Reita had the man in front of him wrapped in an anaconda like hold between his legs using his captors grip to keep him elevated. The man wriggled and beat at Reita's legs to no avail. Kouki didn't seem to know what to do except try and pull Reita off of his comrade, but that backfired quickly. With the elevated position that Kouki's yanking gave him, Reita pressed his weight against his trapped arms and spun his body weight to the left. Directly towards the second floor balcony. The man flipped over the wire rail as Reita's feet fell to the ground and was now hanging on for dear life on the bad side of a two story ledge.  
Feet firmly on the ground, Reita forced Kouki over his body, into the air, with sheer gravitational force. He had to mentally give himself a pat on the back later for accomplishing that feat. The large man landed on the smaller that was holding onto a struggling Aoi for dear life. Well, had been holding onto Aoi for dear life. Now free from restraint Reita flew into motion, Aoi did the same once Chiyu was loose thanks to a swift kick in his captor's spine with a steel toe boot at the speed of a bullet train. Men came from the woodworks, the trio fending them off, backs pressed against each other as to not allow a sneak attack. Reita could see blood trickling from the corner of Aoi's lip while Chiyu took a punch to the stomach by something that didn't seem to fit in the gang member criteria. It was a woman.  
A brown locked woman in a long black dress dropped Chiyu to the ground like a sack of bricks with one foul punch and quickly spun to uppercut Aoi in the bridge of the nose. The sickening pop of dislocation hit Reita's ears while he readied himself to drop an elbow on the girl's head. But that never happened as Reita's body froze in mid motion, elbow raised in the air, torso in mid twist, he looked up to see his wrist being held in a feminine leather bracelet clad wrist. The pain seared as the hand gripped tightly and the smell of lilies filled his nostrils. Reita could only watch helplessly, somehow paralyzed, as Aoi was knocked unconscious next to Chiyu by a heel to the side of the head. The brown hair girl flipped her hair from her face and smiled at Reita mockingly. Hana, he said to himself as she grinned at him and for some reason a sense of calm washed over him. The wrist clencher abruptly broke that calm and spun Reita around, his senses were quickly flooded with that scent and that sensation as Airi stared back at him with a look of an annoyed mother. That was the last thing he saw as his world went black.  
Kai led the way, stopping to punch a sequence into the same number pad Airi had. Uruha stood on the other side as the door skated open. Allowing the two women through first, Kai turned and waved his minions through the door, the trio in tow, stepping through himself last. The only thing that could be heard over their struggle and the sliding of the large metal entryway was Hana, "Take them to the holding cell while we figure out what to do with them. Call Uta to my office...Now." The women and Uruha disappeared down a passageway to the right, and Kai led the men carrying three limp bodies to the left.


	8. Chapter 8

Aoi was slumped against the wall, sitting on the floor. Chiyu leaned against the wall opposite of Aoi damning his existence while Reita paced between the two of them restlessly. Aoi looked at his surroundings once more, taking in the windowless, bland, gun metal colored four walls around them. Questioning room, obviously, he thought to himself. He finally stopped fighting the urge to glare at Reita who was staring at the ground in frustration whilst digging himself a ditch in the floor where he had been weaving back and forth. Aoi sighed, "You do realize that doing that isn't going to help anything."  
Reita didn't look up, but said, "Ruki is going to fucking kill us."  
Aoi rolled his eyes, ignoring him, "Save your energy for something useful."  
"Like what?" Reita snapped, waving his arms in the air, "We are either going to be killed or used as bait, and I would probably rather be killed."  
Aoi continued to try and reason with the nose banded ball of anxiety, "Come on, we have fought our way out of worse."  
Chiyu shook his head back and forth never pulling the back of it from the wall, and said while staring at the ceiling still, "I don't know, I think I have to side with Reita here."  
Aoi's eyes narrowed at Chiyu, "No one asked you."  
Chiyu sighed and brought his head forward to look at Aoi, "Face it, we are locked in some sort of holding cell, in the basement of a bar; in the basement of a bar that was already underground to begin with, and we are surrounded by vampiric gang bangers."  
Aoi growled in frustration, "You guys are being such pansies. We will be fine," he turned to Chiyu again, "Besides isn't that bunch of vampiric gang bangers led by your ex girlfriend?"  
"Yeah, so? You act as if that is going to help," Chiyu questioned back.  
Reita stopped in the middle of the room.  
Chiyu laughed, "I wouldn't bank on that helping, we have a sort of bipolar relationship since we split."  
"Well, you still talk right?" Reita continued to hope.  
Aoi furrowed his brow in confusion, "What the hell do you mean bipolar?"  
Chiyu shrugged, "I don't know, it's bipolar... Yeah, we talk, but sometimes I tick her off and that ticks me off, so we throw a fit and try to kill each other. Then the next minute we are buds. I couldn't tell you really."  
A disgruntled Reita was cut off from his onslaught of curses as the large metal meat-locker-like door clicked loudly. Aoi pulled himself up from the ground and sighed one last time, "Well, try and keep your cool, Casanova."  
Reita could tell it was her behind the door, before she even appeared, the scent was intoxicating. He had to suppress the urge to inhale deeply, it was only possible because he was aware of Aoi's stare as he rocked back on his heels. Reita opted for letting the aroma roll around him. Seconds later she was standing in front of the reclosed door, with the strawberry blonde man at her right and Kai, hovering almost a foot taller than the pair of them, on her left. Her arms were crossed against her chest and Reita lost thought processing abilities as she stared coldly at him. If his mind didn't seem so blank he would have been taking note of the way the large amounts of black clothing framed her exposed, tattoo riddled, middle perfectly. Aoi shared his friend's pain as he stared at the man next to her. It seemed almost impossible how his hair flipped perfectly away from his face, the black v-neck shirt that almost matched that of his female friend (with much more fabric that clung exquisitely to his muscles) dipped in precision to expose his collar bone. The sliver pendant he wore hung exactly between his collar bones, not helping Aoi's fixation with the man. He stood in too elegant of a slouch, with his hands stuffed nonchalantly in his pockets.  
"Long time no see, Airi," Chiyu smiled at the girl. Aoi shook his head, _imminent doom is in front of you, pay attention_, he told himself.  
Reita felt life flow back through his limbs as she turned the same cold gaze towards Chiyu, "I know, what a coincidence seeing you here," she smiled sarcastically. "How have you been?" she asked with venom, losing all sound of amusement in her voice.  
Chiyu walked towards her, stopping in front of her, she never moved, not even to unfold her arms. Stopping in front of her he turned to look at the man next to her. " I already know the traitor over there. Who is the friend? A bed buddy?" he asked accusingly to Airi, never taking his eyes off of the man's.  
_This isn't my idea of appeasing the enemy, you idiot_ Reita thought as Chiyu seemed to be making the situation worse.  
She rolled her eyes, "This_mostly_ gay friend of mine is Uruha." She had obviously picked up on Chiyu's impromptu prying ex boyfriend nature.  
Uruha smiled and bowed his head, and his head only, to Chiyu. Chiyu couldn't help but ask, "Mostly?"  
Uruha laughed, "It is called bi-sexual, but I prefer men _mostly_." He turned to Airi, "You were right about this one." She laughed once and sighed.  
Chiyu looked down at her with an annoyed glare. She seemed unphased, unfolding her one hand for a second to wave a hand lazily at Aoi, "Your turn."  
Chiyu waved at Aoi, "Aoi," and nodded his head backwards at Reita, "Reita." She smile at them before Chiyu jumped again, "Enough with this, what the hell is going on?"  
Airi laughed, "I don't think you are in a position to be asking questions in that demanding tone of voice."  
Chiyu snapped, "Stop fucking around, what do you want with us?"  
Aoi mumbled to no one in particular, "This doesn't feel like you're keeping your cool."  
Airi sighed, "Fine, tell me what you are doing in my bar reeking of that Takanori brat? And why this one here is following me," she said pointing at Aoi. "On top of the other milling alone about my racetrack."  
Chiyu asked, "Your bar? Why do you own a bar?"  
Reita was equally confused, and turned to ask Aoi what had just clicked, "How does she know Ruki's real name?" Aoi could only shrug.  
She rolled her eyes, letting her arms slump to her sides, "Yes, my bar," she pointed at Aoi, turning to address him, "Apart from me, the other girl you have been following is my business partner. And it is none of your business why I own a bar."  
Aoi's eyes widened, "You know I have been following you for that long?"  
Airi rolled her eyes, "I am not an idiot, of course I did, but you following her I was not aware of. Until tonight that is."  
Chiyu's face squished further in confusion, "Why do you own a bar?"  
Airi growled the frustration back into her throat, "Not that I have to tell you, but it keeps the bills paid. Suped up racing bikes don't pay for themselves, unless you run drugs like the rest of the gangs around here."  
Reita had to intrude, "Wait, you're saying you don't run drugs?"  
She leaned to the left to see around Chiyu, "No, I don't. That's why I need to know where your little rodent of a leader is hiding. He is getting in my way, and it is starting to piss me off."  
"In the way of what," Reita pursued.  
"Of me finding the people who actually run drugs. Kind of hard when you have a parade stalking you 24/7."  
Aoi shook his head in disbelief and began talking with his hands, as he always did while he was angry, "So you are telling me, that you aren't running _limpid_?"  
Uruha sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, he interrupted to keep his friend from snapping entirely, "Do we have to spell it out to you? N. O. Nooooooo. It isn't that complicated of a concept to understand." Aoi clamped his mouth shut.  
Chiyu's eyes practically lit up as he pointed to the man on Airi's left, "So, Kai isn't a traitor."  
Kai rolled his eyes, folding his arms against his chest, "You guys really are dense sometimes."  
"Then. What. The. Fuck. Are we doing here?" Reita asked in fury, flinging his arms in the air.  
Aoi just continued to shake his head in disbelief, "So, Ruki has no clue that he has been searching for the wrong people."  
Airi had her forehead cradled in her palm as she shook her head in disbelief at the stupidity around her. Chiyu smiled with a clap of the hands and said, "Well then, we will take the message to the boss," and made a move between Uruha and Airi. He didn't make it far as Uruha grabbed a hold of his arm and flung him back between Reita and Airi.  
"What the hell was that?" Chiyu asked, angrily glaring at the man who had just abused him.  
Airi sighed and released her forehead from her grip, looking back at the trio of men before her, "I told you, I need to know where Takanori is. Or you're not leaving."  
Reita and Aoi stood still as they watched Chiyu for his next move. He held his hands in front of him as if he were trying to reason with some sort of beast instead of a woman as he began, "Listen, babe. We will just head on out, no harm done. We will tell Ruki what you told us, and where to find you." Chiyu began to slowly take steps towards the entrance behind the others.  
"No," she said simply with a forced smile and Chiyu froze. Airi took slow lazy steps now, closing the gap between her and her ex-boyfriend. "You will tell me where he is," she said in the nicest voice possible, the demand still unmistakable underneath it all, "Or I will take the information from you."  
Chiyu was failing, but refused to give up. Laying his hands gently on her shoulders he began, "Come on, babe," but he never got a chance to finish. In a flash of yellow leather Chiyu was kneeling on the cold floor in front of Airi. He was facing his allies as the pain seared through his left hand that was trapped beneath the harsh force of her boot. His right hand felt a stab of discomfort as she twisted it in the opposite direction of his natural movement. Reita and Aoi instinctively made moves to help their friend, but froze instantly as Uruha and Kai stepped to the girl's sides. There was a reason Uruha and Kai were there, so Aoi and Reita decided to air on the side of caution.  
The sound of metal clinking into place resounded in the room. Airi had unfolded a long switchblade from her left hand and placed it gingerly to the front of Chiyu's throat. Aoi and Reita looked to one another silently for some sort of guidance on what move to try and make. Chiyu could feel the warmth of her body as he backed away his neck from the cold steel, only to be pinned between her hunched over chest and the weapon he remembered from long ago. "Still got that thing, I see," he said trying to keep the pang of nervousness from his words.  
She smiled into his ear, "Never leave home without her. Now, are you going to make this easy on yourself, or are we going to have to fight again?"  
Aoi swallowed roughly and attempted to make a distraction, "Now, is this all really necessary."  
Reita queued in to try and help, "Yeah, I mean, we haven't actually hurt anyone."  
"No it isn't necessary," a voice came from the front of the room. Reita and Aoi looked up to see another woman had slid into the room and was now making her way towards the other female. Airi straightened, blade still poised at Chiyu's jugular, as the other came to her side and smiled at her. The woman clad in a long black dress, with a plunging neckline that would distract anyone in some other situation, smiled back and turned towards Aoi, "Nice to finally see you face to face. Well, at a closer distance that is."  
Reita was beyond worrying about whether questions were stupid or not anymore, "Okay, I give, why are you here?"  
Aoi stared at her, dead in the eye, gaze unwavering, "She's Hana, she doesn't need a reason to be here."  
"Of course, she is," Reita mumbled rubbing his brows with his forefinger and thumb  
Chiyu strangled out in pained breaths, "He may be terrifying but I am not going to give in through force. This is what I do! I don't get man handled!" Reita growled loudly feeling the hopelessness of the situation.  
Hana crouched low next to Chiyu and reached into the breast pocket of his jacket. Pulling out his cell phone, she stood erect and spoke to Airi, "Just get the information. I am sick of these games we have had to play."  
Airi just squinted her eyes at the other, "You ruin all the fun." Hana just shrugged her shoulders.  
Chiyu was beginning to boil in his skin with anticipation and annoyance as he kneeled helplessly beneath his ex-girlfriend, "Yes, go and obey like a good little girl."  
There was sickening crunch of bone before Chiyu's loud and pained yelp pierced the air. Airi had wrenched his wrist in her grip and stepped on the entirety of his other hand with frightening force, both breaking and dislocating, it seemed from the sound that was heard. She flung him back towards Kai, who pulled him to his feet by his collar. Turned towards Reita with a devious smirk, Airi decided on the victim. He attempted to ready himself for battle, but found quickly that he couldn't move. Just like before he tried to budge, but every muscle felt as if it were turned to lead. His brain was telling his appendages to move, but nothing would listen. The only thing that he seemed able to control were his eyes. He looked up to see Aoi make a lunge towards Airi. But it was useless, faster than Reita could blink Uruha had sped to her side and flung Aoi against the metal plated wall. A loud gong echoed through the air as he slammed into it and fell to the ground. Aoi didn't even have the time to stand back up before Uruha's long fingers were wrapped against his throat, and before he could register what was happening, Aoi was held off of the ground by his esophagus, kicking and trying to pull the grip on his neck loose. Speed is his gift, you jack ass, was all Aoi could think as he fought for freedom and air.  
Airi flipped the blade closed and shoved it into her pocket before she reached out and grabbed Reita's chin between her thumb and forefinger. With that simple pinch of the jaw, Reita was yanked forward against her body. The sickeningly sweet smell of her swirled through his nostrils and flew deep within his lungs, dizzying his thoughts as his face fell into her hair. He didn't have time to think before he felt her cool breath against his skin. Her fangs sank into his vein seconds later, slicing like metal through butter. Reita could only gasp for air as the sensation he had almost forgotten began to tingle in his toes. The second pair of fangs fell from her gums and pierced his flesh next to the other teeth that sat deep in the dermis of his neck. Instantly his mind began to blur in a whirlwind of color, the sensation in his body began to tremble and tingle deep within his cells as it crept from his feet to his legs. The feeling spread like wildfire once it pulled itself pass his knees. Reita could have sworn that Aoi was calling for him, but the sound was only a distant haze. The only thing Reita knew was the warmth of her body against his as his molecules orgasmed from his temple to his toes. Then suddenly everything became black again.


	9. Chapter 9

"Stop being such a big baby." It was a woman's voice, that was all Reita could tell as his vision began to turn from black abyss to a heavily shadowed blur.  
"Baby! You are the one who did this! Why should I let you touch me?" that was Chiyu. Reita attempted to move, but could only function his feet and hands. Seconds later his arms and legs began to inch into movement.  
He felt a presence next to him and a shadowed face suddenly entered his line of sight, hovering above him. The smell was familiar, taking a deeper breath he decided it was Aoi. "I think he's waking up," Aoi said to the others he could not see. Reita let out a low grunt.  
That smell came back, that sickeningly sweet smell filled his senses as Airi hovered next to Aoi. "Guess so," she said with a smirk. Her hand appeared in front of his nose, if he could function a bit more he felt as if he would've bitten it, unsure why, he just ignored the instinct. She snapped her fingers and the muscles in his back and abdomen seemed to respond as if she were his brain. The muscles pulled him into an upright position as Aoi fumbled backwards in shock. Reita could now see with vivid intensity as if the snapping sound had removed the haze in his mind.  
Still unable to control his own body functions, he took in his surroundings quickly. He was sitting on a table that lined a long wall, it sat parallel to a long, large, and dark oak colored dining table. It appeared regal in its antique age with large backed chairs straight from the seventeenth century. A chandelier hung elegantly in its center, below it leaning against the table was Chiyu looking angrily down at his hands.  
His take-in was interrupted shortly after he felt her hands on his knees, pulling them to the edge of the table so she stood between them. Reita gulped as he looked into her eyes and she asked, "Can you talk?"  
Positive that he wouldn't be able to do that either, he decided to give it a shot anyway. "I don…" he began surprised, "Yeah, I can," he finished.  
"Good," she said taking his chin between her thumb and forefinger again. She tilted his head to the side and his breath hitched upon the feeling hers against the skin of his neck again. He closed his eyes and prayed silently for his cock to not react in the way he felt doing so at the moment. Just as quickly as he felt her lips press against his pulse and their hips rub against one another's, sending a shock of pleasure through him, the attention was gone soon and she was standing before him smiling. Chiyu stood behind her glaring at the back of her head. She turned to Aoi and told him before turning back to Chiyu, "You may want to hold him up, he is going to get his motor skills back momentarily."  
"What," they said in unison, confused looks spread across their faces to match. It was a matter of seconds before Reita knew what she meant. His muscles became limp and languid with motion and relaxation, almost causing him to tip over forwards, his vision whizzing with the newly regained power. Aoi rushed to him and pushed him back up by the shoulders. Grabbing onto Aoi's arms for balance, Reita sat up and his vision started to focus again. He began to tense, relax, and stretch out his limbs to fully make sure that he controlled his body once again.  
"You okay?" Aoi asked, looking Reita questioningly dead in the eye.  
Reita nodded, letting go of his friend. He looked back to see Airi nonchalantly bickering with Chiyu, then back to a smirking Aoi. He was confused, this was too different than the scenario they were in before he blacked out. "What the hell is going on?" he asked anyone in the room who would answer. Chiyu and Airi silenced and turned to look at Reita as if he were the odd one here. "Seriously, what the fuck is going on?"  
Aoi laughed, "We are waiting for Ruki to arrive."  
"Kou, I mean Uru, will be back soon, you will feel better after you have a soda or something," Airi interjected.  
"Alright, that doesn't clarify shit" Reita pointed at Airi, "_You_ were going to kill _him_," he pointed at Chiyu. At that moment Uruha came in the doorway, tray of something in hand. Reita pointed at him dramatically, "_And you_ were trying to kill_him_," he snapped pointing at Aoi, "I don't even know where the fuck Kai is, and now we are all best friends here?"  
"Rei, just calm down…" Aoi began.  
"Calm down!" he wailed in disbelief at his friend before snapping his head back to Airi, "And what the hell! Why couldn't I move, and why the fuck did you bite me?"  
Uruha laughed as he leaned next to Airi against the ancient table. Tossing a soda to Aoi, who opened it and offered it to Reita, Uruha decided he would try his hand at explaining. Reita snatched the can and chugged half of it while listening to the pretty boy, "You weren't giving us information, so Airi had to take it. Plain and simple."  
"That clarifies not a damned thing."  
Chiyu sighed, scratching his head with his one bandage wrapped hand, "It is her gift," he said nodding down to Airi at his side, she just stared at her feet, arms folded against her chest. "She can control people, their movement, and sometimes their thoughts. She can read minds and memories when she drinks," he looked down at her, "Did I get it all?"  
She just nodded shyly, twisting her heel in the ground, before looking back up at him, "I don't know why you won't let me fix that other hand."  
"Because it's your fault it is like this to begin with!" Chiyu snapped at her. Uruha and Aoi looked at one another and laughed as if they had known each other for a life time. Gaps were filled, but Reita was still confused.  
"No, your mouth was the one who got you in that position!" she snapped back, "You will lose those fingers if I don't put them back."  
Chiyu ignored her and sat for a long second in silence before looking at Uruha, "Will I really?"  
Surprised that the only man in the room that seemed to hate him had address him, Uruha stumbled to answer, "Erm…Yeah…If they are dislocated, they will need to be removed if they aren't put back soon, or they will swell and get infected. It's not pretty."  
Chiyu sighed, sadly looking down at his hands. Never looking up, he grumbled, "Fine, but don't make a big production out of it."  
Airi chuckled, taking his hand in hers and positioning a finger slowly, "Pull your tongue away from your teeth and inhale."  
"Why?"  
"So you don't bite off your tongue, now do it."  
Reita pushed himself off of the table and staggered, not realizing the newly revived sensation of standing might need some gradual moving up to. Uruha caught him by the arm and helped brace him on his feet as the air sounded with a sickening crunch.  
"GODDAMNED SON OF A MOTHERLESS GOAT IN FLORIDA!" Chiyu screeched falling backwards and writhing in pain on top of the table.  
She laughed, "Oh come on, man up. You still have three more to put back in."  
"I hate your guts, I swear to all things holy," Chiyu cursed her while lying on his back and clutching his hand.  
Reita turned to Uruha, "Thanks," he said begrudgingly, "But I still have no clue what's going on."  
Uruha patted him on the back, "Come on," and walked in front of him, "You could use some fresh air, we can leave them to cat fight and explain what is going on."  
Aoi slumped an arm around Reita's shoulders and pulled him after Uruha. Reita looked questioningly at Aoi, who avoided his gaze and followed with his friend towards a double glass sliding door. Beyond the clear paned doorway was a stone balcony that towered some stories above the city. They were still in the warehouse of Wintergreen, as the now visible and decayed billboard told them, but now they were somewhere far above the dancing lights and bodies. Aoi left Reita as the last one out, making his way to Uruha's side. Reita slid the door closed behind him, pausing to stare as Chiyu writhed around again while Airi laughed, the thud of the door locked out the screams and bellows.  
Reita turned and saw Aoi laughing, arms folded against his chest while he stared out at the city skyline. Uruha leaned backwards against the railing, left hand rested on a stone gargoyle, grinning a silent laugh. He shook his head and asked his new visitors, "Did either of you know about her and your guy before tonight?"  
"Not a clue," Aoi admitted. Uruha looked at Reita who just shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
Uruha sighed, "I didn't know about him either. You can see how they did fit together at one point though." He laughed and Reita turned to see Airi holding Chiyu's hand again, talking slowly and staring him deep in the eye. Just when it seemed he was distracted, she forced the finger in her grip back into its socket. Chiyu flew back on the table again, most likely cursing once more, she just shook her head and laughed. "They are a lot alike though," Uruha said, pulling Reita's attention from the girl.  
"Yeah, too stubborn to accept logic," Aoi said, to which Uruha simply nodded, "Accept she seems smarter than Chiyu."  
Reita laughed, making his way towards the balcony edge and the other two, "Keep your voice down, I don't feel like witnessing another bitch fight if they can hear us. I am still too confused to process anything."  
Aoi turned and leaned backwards against the railing, to match the other two, and joined them in watching the off colored slapstick going on inside the hall in front of them. "So where do we start?" he asked Uruha.  
Uru sighed pulling a hand through his hair, "I am not sure, but we better hurry. Takanori and Hana should be done soon, and he will be really lost then."  
"Wait," Reita intruded, "Ruki is here?"  
Aoi laughed, and Uru began, "Well, you can hear, that is good." Reita glared at him as he smiled at Reita, and continued, "Yeah, we figured he better talk to Hana. Seeing as Airi's little boy toy put her in a bad mood earlier, it was best if she didn't have to do any debating."  
Reita looked at Aoi, who answered his silent question, "Apparently the two of them run things together, Airi and Hana.." Reita nodded.  
"Mmm," Uruha murmured, "They are best friends, since before I met them. That is going about ten years back. Airi needs Hana, just as Hana needs Airi. The other two you know of: Uta and Megumi are staples too. They aren't as solid as our leaders though." Uruha sighed, "But Airi tends to get hot headed easily once she is in a bad mood. And we hear your Takanori has a very similar, bitch-like, attitude at times." Uruha looked at Reita, almost asking for opposition, who just shrugged and nodded, it was the truth so what was the point in opposing it. "So it wouldn't have blended well upon first meetings as far as we saw."  
Aoi took his turn to talk, "It looks like we were wrong about them. The whole thing. The Kabuki Boyz aren't running limpid. They are actually trying to find Mana, just like we are. But we have been lied too."  
Reita was growing more confused by the moment, "Lied to about what, by who?"  
"The police… and Gackt," Uruha interjected, "It isn't just Mana running this stuff for the hell of it. The government is going to pay him for the finished product of limpid. They are going to use it as a war mechanism. They will recruit us for killing machines without our knowledge otherwise."  
"Alright," Reita confessed, "I am lost."  
Aoi smiled, "Don't worry, we will all know a little more in a second." He stood and made way for the sliding glass doors, Uruha closely on his heels. Reita stayed where he was, trying to figure out what was going on. As the doors opened, he could see new faces in the room. Ruki, Kai, and the girl he remembered as Hana, were talking to Airi warmly with Uruha now at her side.  
Ruki bowed to Airi once more as they seemed to exchange words. The wary look Ruki held in his eyes whenever he met someone new, and of equal power, sat in Airi's eyes as they held hands in welcome. "Alright," the short man clapped his hands, straightening, "Let's get this over with. Where's Reita?"  
Reita awoke from his confused stupor and clamored through the door, "Here."  
Ruki gave him a disgusted look of confusion before commanding everyone to sit.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, you really are telling us that Gackt has been using us as pawns this entire time to help Mana?" Ruki said, not daring to let the authority slip from his voice. He may not be in his realm of control, but he refused to look like a subordinate.  
Aoi shook his head and mumbled to himself, "I knew it."  
"I think the evidence is substantial," Hana tried not to snap as she waved at the table top that they were all gathered around. Papers littered the wooden surface: snapshots, typed out conversations, and hand signed documents from the man himself all sat in front of them. Joining the remnants of what had to be a medium sized tree worth of paper was a computer, the now still image of Gackt in conversation with a small blonde scruffy man and the chief of police glowed at them. Tape recorders piled in front of Aoi as he insisted on repeating them at least twice to make absolutely positive that they were the proper voices.  
Reita picked up a gloss covered photo and glowered at the image of Gackt and Mana embraced him. "So what do we do now?" he asked secretly resisting the urge to burn the photo.  
Airi stretched her arms high in the air in her seat to the left of Ruki's head of the table. It had shocked her subordinates that she had given the seat up in the first place. Hana had taken her place at the opposite end, and began her lecture some hours ago. Airi now spoke while staring at her feet that were crossed and propped on the table directly next to Kai who was lounging in his chair. "The small man in the video, the blonde, his name is Hyde," no one but Reita could sense Chiyu's body tense before he inhaled and forced it to relax. "He is somewhat oblivious to what Gackt is actually doing here. Camui is using Hyde's elevated social status, and blind friendship, to help market the drug to other well off vampires, in hopes of having backers of the actual reproduction of limpid, before his results are conclusive. Hyde is the oldest known vampire and is in connection with more of our kind than you can imagine." The group nodded in agreement, the latter information was well known fact.  
"Please tell me one more time why he is doing all of this. I can't process this for some reason," Aoi requested from his slumped position against the oak table.  
"Basics are that Mana was contacted by Gackt to begin the testing of limpid. Mana has the resources: labs, well educated employees, so on and so forth. He then had the benefit of Gackt's government trained protectors. He is untraceable, although we are on the verge of cracking that."  
"Gackt is using the illusion of this being a street drug to test how long it takes for the drug to take over a vampire's body. Your personal killing off of random drug runners did push back production a little, but they have logs that keep track of what druggie buys how much on which day. It is basically a laboratory log and used by the drug runners," she said pushing a leather bound book towards the center of the table. "This is one of the logs we were able to get a hold of. And he is more than willing to slow production time a little if he has you as a cover to unsuspecting eyes. He initially hired you to make it look like he was trying to get rid of the drug problem. Helps solidify his promotion to ambassador."  
Uruha spoke next. "Gackt is doing this for his political career. When he becomes the international ambassador he will reveal the results from this whole little case study of his. From what Hyde tells us, Gackt's dream is to be the head of military. He will use his new position and the results to put his foot in that door."  
"Wait," Ruki now sat in full attention, "How does Hyde know this, and how do we know Hyde?"  
Hana sighed, "Airi is an acquaintance of Hyde's."  
Aoi sat up in a flash, "How well of an acquaintance?" he asked with slanted eyes. You could faintly hear Hana hiss beneath her breath.  
Airi's eyes shot towards him with disdain. "None of your business." Aoi glared back at her.  
"Then how do we know our position isn't compromised with Gackt," the small little Shinpei piped from Ruki's right.  
Airi turned and attempted to glare at Shinpei, but the honesty in his eyes deterred her. She sighed, "Hyde won't speak of my relationship with him to anyone other than the people we both know. That was a past life, it has nothing to do with now."  
"How can you be sure of that?" Aoi snapped and Airi whipped her head towards him again. Hana was now propped on her elbow against the table, eyebrows being massaged by her thumb and forefinger in agitation.  
Airi could have killed with the stare she was sending towards Aoi. "Listen, tracker boy. If I say it is fine then there is nothing to worry about. Worry about covering your own pretty tail properly and you wouldn't even be in this position right now, now would you?"  
Aoi opened his mouth in a huff to spit something back, but slammed his mouth shut when Chiyu raised his voice. "I think!" he said loudly then dropped his voice to continue, knowing he gained the proper attention, "that we should trust in our new comrades. They could have just killed us after all."  
The room sat silent. Chiyu stared from beneath furrowed brows at Aoi, and Aoi silently sending death threats with his eyes. The decision came from Ruki, "I think Chiyu is right, let's move on."  
Hana sighed, "Thank god. So we were talking about what?" Everyone seemed to shrug or simply ignore the question.  
"Well, what does Gackt plan to do with this cock eyed research?" Reita asked seeking some form of move forward and not one back to hostility.  
Hana nodded. "I am sure you have realized that helios is being mixed into limpid supplies." The foreign men nodded. "It is actually not helios being mixed with limpid. It is limpid being mixed with helios," this received confused stares. "Think about it," she stated simply as if that would make the logic click. She rolled her eyes when it didn't. "Helios is what we take to assimilate into the world of humans, right? Inject the helios with limpid and you will have a slow drawn out way to mass produce the drug to vampires."  
Aoi shook his head in confusion, "But that will just set mayhem loose. All limpid does is revert you to a primitive state, kills your brain technically, but your body takes over and goes on a killing spree."  
Airi stared at her boots again while speaking, "Yes, but then Gackt will have the doses under control. He will now how long it takes to be in full effect and he will be able to track who he implements it to. Pharmacies change the colors of pills all the time. No one will be any wiser about having lethal drugs put in their system."  
"What do you think they plan on doing with the ones they give the limpid to?" Aoi pressed.  
Hana set her pen down a little too loudly, "That we can't say for sure, but we suppose it has something to do with his interest in the military."  
Kai finished as he looked at his friends, "They will harvest us, and use us as killing machines."  
"Glorified war hounds," Uruha sighed.  
The room was still as the words sunk in. Reita was lost in the whirlwind in his mind. Chiyu was trying to separate what he now knew was the truth from what he had been fed before tonight. Aoi and Shinpei just seemed blank, and Ruki was his ever stoic presence as he twiddled his thumbs in his seat. He was the first to speak. "So our obvious in to Gackt and information is Hyde?"  
Hana nodded, "Yes, as long as he doesn't feel threatened, he should tell Airi what we need to know. With a gratuitous amount of coercing most likely. He is rather protective of Gackt."  
Aoi slammed a fist down on the table, "Seriously, how the hell do you know this guy? Because all I am hearing is the two of you are long time bed buddies. And that does not qualify him to keep his mouth shut."  
Airi let out a long angry exhale and snapped her neck to look at Aoi. "If you must know, you fucking imbecile, he is my creator."  
Aoi readied to send back a wave of insults and paused, "Wait, isn't half the lure about Hyde?"  
"What?" Reita was confused now.  
"That he has lived so long without having a blood child. That is what everyone says at least." Aoi replied  
She glowered at him as if he were an idiot, "Exactly, I don't exist to the masses, therefore how is he going to tell anyone about me?"  
"Gackt doesn't even know?" Chiyu asked looking her dead in the eye.  
She looked back sternly, "No, he never knew." Chiyu nodded.  
Ruki inhaled loudly and clapped cheerfully with a grin, "So now that we know the necessities, where do we start?"  
Airi, Hana, Kai, and Uruha looked at the small sunglassed man as if he were an alien.A brawl had almost erupted and he was smiling and changing the subject as if nothing had happened.  
Hana shook her head and stuttered, "W..We..Well, before we can get anything important done, you need to know how the Kabuki Boyz work."


	11. Chapter 11

Blackened by darkness, shadows of the city flew by the tinted windows of the car they sat in. Lights whizzed by leaving their trails of bright afterglow in his eyes as Chiyu stared blankly out of his window. His brothers in arms sat around him in the back of the plush escalade that Ruki was driven around in. He had been gazing out at the moving cityscape, his elbow on the window sill and chin in hand, since they had left headquarters. Reita seemed to be staring at him from the opposite side of the cab, Aoi was busy talking to Ruki, Aoi at Reita's left, Shinpei between them, and Ruki at Chiyu's right.  
Chiyu was contemplating the reasons his life had taken such a turn for the worst. Well, he wasn't sure if he would call it worst, but it certainly wasn't the best. His inner argument was waging inside of his mind when Ruki slapped him in the bicep. Chiyu picked his head up and turned with a look of distaste plastered on his face. "What was that for?" he tried to not hiss.  
Ruki adjusted the sleeves of his black glittered suit jacket and breathed lightly, "I believe you owe us an explanation."  
Chiyu raised an eyebrow, "For what?"  
"The girl, don't act stupid," Ruki snapped in a matronly manner.  
Chiyu rolled his eyes and resumed his previous position, "You already know how I know Airi."  
"I want to know what you know. We need to know how safe we are with her connection with Hyde," this was would have sounded like an ordinary request, but to the four in the vehicle, it was sounded like nothing other than an order.  
Chiyu sighed and straightened up, stretching and rubbing his hands down his legs before he plopped back in his seat. "All of it?" Ruki nodded. Chiyu shrugged, "Fine. Short story is: I knew Airi when we were still human." He had to stifle a laugh at the looks he was receiving, Chiyu had had a feeling that would throw them off.  
"Yup, Airi's family was a long line of hunters, the last ancient line I think, and our families were extremely close. I think my oldest memory was with Airi. When I awoke and became a vampire, my family fled. We literally just uprooted one night and took off. They couldn't take the chance of their best friends killing their son. I never said goodbye to her, or any of them."  
"One day, years down the road, I ran over Airi on accident. Literally ran over. I was driving to that dumbass office job at the newspaper I had, this girl in a hooded sweatshirt wasn't paying attention and walked out right in front of me. Five in the morning, sun coming up, no one was around. When I ran to help her I tried to pull her hood down and she grabbed my hands and hissed at me to stop. When I saw her face I almost passed out."  
"We kind of just picked up where we left off, like we were never apart. Eventually she told me that her family had killed Hyde's partner and he tracked them down. He killed her family, and even though Airi had killed his friend that had come to help Hyde, he didn't try to kill her. She tried to kill him, he was injured badly but he bit her in the end." He glanced around an smiled a little at the odd way all of the attention was on him for the moment.  
He continued, "She tried to starve herself while Hyde kept her chained up so she wouldn't do anything rash like running herself through with a pitchfork. But we all know in the end your instincts take over and we all see that she is more than alive now. That's as short as I can make it," he shrugged.  
Aoi waved a hand in the air signaling his move to talk. Chiyu was always amused how his friend talked with his hands. "But why did Hyde do that, were they a thing?" Aoi just wasn't convinced.  
Chiyu shook his head, "No, Airi has conflicting emotions about Hyde, but they were never like that. She told me that herself, mainly because I wouldn't leave her alone about it. I was kind of worried about why he would just decide to change the spawn of the people he was so hell bent of murdering in cold blood." Chiyu shrugged again.  
"That really does make no sense," Ruki mumbled, his hands laced together with his index fingers extended and pressed against his lips.  
"They act like a sort of twisted family from what I gathered. He was always so protective over her, he called her his love all the time. She does care about him, but you can see why she hates herself, and him, for that. He did kill her family and turn her into something she was trained to wipe off the face of the earth."  
Looks of deep pensive thought sat around him. Aoi and Shinpei stared out of the back windshield, Ruki bore holes into Shinpei's Chest, and Reita was consumed in thought while looking at his feet. For a second only Chiyu seemed to realize the halt in motion before the door beside Ruki opened and his face lit up again. "Well," he sighed, "Now that we know we should be okay. Let's try to assimilate with the dredges of society, shall we?" Three nods responded and Ruki stepped out of the vehicle.


	12. Chapter 12

The air that was muscled into her nose and down to her lungs was cold and clean as she held her breath. Releasing it slowly, the warmth replaced the cool sensation only to repeat again as she continued to breathe, it almost felt dirty. When breathing was in the forefront of her mind, there was always that small question in the back of her head. How long will it be until I actually stop breathing?  
Hana lifted her head from the back of the large, plush, leather armchair that consumed her and stared absent mindedly at the office around her. Black paneled walls surrounded her, the only non blank wall sat behind her covered in a black and white lace like pattern. Hana had always liked all things black and white. A literal personification of the way she felt life should be, black and white. No shades of grey, no maybe this, no maybe that. Matters should be yes or no, not: well, we will see.  
Hana rolled mentally over her ever growing anger with the unknown future, as she always did while left alone. The bass boomed in the windows around her, her thumb methodically rubbed the sore spot on her opposite arm that the needle was stuck in every day, and the thoughts still continued. She had paperwork to do, but that could wait until her self-loathing was over and done with. That would also have to wait that old familiar feeling of being watched was lingering in the back of her mind, and growing with the passing seconds. That could only mean one thing with the odd way it tugged at her senses, Airi was approaching. With only enough time to finish the thought, the doorknob spun and the woman in question slid in through the small opening she made for herself.  
Hana sighed, "How are things on the track?"  
Airi shrugged her shoulders inside her leather jacket and plopped in the chair on the opposite side of Hana's desk. "Same, nothing new down there. Club is clean too," Airi said slouching down in her seat with feet crossed, perched on the edge of the black painted wooden desk.  
"Hmm," Hana hummed, her thumb still running over the small patch of flesh on her arm. Airi toyed with her necklace as she watched her best friend attempt at a conversation while having her mind somewhere else completely. She knew that Hana wasn't fairing well lately, and it was wearing on the both of them, but Airi knew something else was up. She knew what it was, and nothing proper would be paid full attention too until it was brought up.  
She sighed loudly, "So how is Hiroto?"  
Hana snapped from her stupor in record time. "What are you talking about?"  
Airi laughed slinging her arm over the top of her chair, "I am not stupid, Hana. You know that."  
"And I am not an idiot. I don't know what you are talking about," she hissed.  
Airi rolled her eyes, "Fine, I don't need you to tell me about your doomed love affair. I can find out on my own."  
Hana was beginning to boil inside, why did this bitch always have to do this. Hana wouldn't give in though. "And I told you that if you keep having people track me I will rip out every genital you own."  
"Mmm," Airi hummed with a roll of her eyes.  
Hana gripped the chairs of her arm tightly to emphasize the reiteration, "Every genital you own."  
Airi cocked her head and met Hana's glare with a disappointed one of her own. "Hana, you do realize how this inhibits and risks everything we have worked so hard for, don't you?"  
"I don't know what you are talking about."  
"Having a boy toy on the enemy's side, who is so doped up he can't sit still for a second at a time and on the human wanted list for murder is not something that makes our little family safe."  
"This is pointless because there is nothing going on, I ended that weeks ago."  
"Mmm," Airi hummed again, "Just remember…"  
"If he ever gets in your way, you won't refrain from squishing him like the rest of his vermin comrades. Yeah, I remember."  
Airi paused then sighed, "I just want you to be alive and happy. Drug boy won't bring that."  
Hana stared at the papers on her desk without meaning, "The dreams of that, both being alive and happy, were gone long ago. You should stop worrying about it."  
Her friend sat across from her and Hana could see the muscles tense in restraint. Hana knew that was probably too much, seeing as Airi had done everything in her power to keep Hana alive, but her mental filter wasn't working tonight for some reason.  
"What about Mizuki?" Airi prodded, "Doesn't he deserve your distraction more than the neck scratching needle wielder?"  
Blood was boiling in Hana's veins. She should have known the nonchalant battle of wits wouldn't have ended there. They were both too stubborn to function normally, let alone fight. She turned her head to look out of the window and hissed, "I don't want to hear it, you play with Mao as if he were a wind up doll. You can't talk."  
Satisfied with the edge she had gained, Airi laughed, "Mao and I aren't together. That is different."  
"It is nowhere near different, you lead him on, get what you want and then run out."  
"There isn't anyone else I am holding out for, unlike you." They were now turned towards each other spitting venom with their words.  
"I am not holding out for shit, and you just use and abuse the guys you have."  
"Don't hate the player."  
"And don't give me that game bullshit."  
"This isn't about me, Hana."  
"No it is never about you. You are just the apple of everyone's eye but you are never the one under subjection."  
"Hiroto must've not called you back, this is the way you usually act when that happens."  
Hana's jaw was beginning to ache from the force that held her teeth were clamped together, but she couldn't sense it as she spat through gritted fangs, "Don't try and change the subject from your little one night stand issue."  
Airi sighed and fell back into the chair. She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Here we go again."  
"You always come in here and question me about Hiroto, whether you know I see him or not, and it drives me insane! Don't harbor on my issues because you can't deal with your own. I have no fucking clue as to how many bed buddies_you_ keep anymore, all so you don't get attached. Fuck and flee is all you do. I can name three, THREE, different guys who would throw down lives to be with you, but you ignore them like they were simply asking you for the time. Your problems are tenfold to mine."  
Airi could feel the muscle in her neck tensing in frustration as Hana pressed buttons deep in her psyche through simple blind rage.  
Hana hadn't finished yet. "When you can stop running away from commitment and suck it up, then you can tell me how to deal with my love life. Until then just keep trying at your failed attempts to instill happy life-is-worth-fighting-for ideas in my head. Waste of time, but it's a better way to spend your energy you need to lure the men in like the praying mantis you are."  
Airi closed her eyes as if that simple act could hold back the resentment she had bottled up inside of her. Hana folded her arms against her chest as it heaved to breathe through the anger. They sat in silence as Hana stared at Airi while she was meditating her self control. Slow realizations were hitting Hana as to what she had just said while the seconds ticked by and Airi made no movement. "Let's not mention the men I know of that would kill innocent people to get your attention. You just so happen to be focusing your every being around a lost cause," came in a whisper filled with malice from Airi's mouth.  
"I don't want to hear it," Hana snapped as she stared at Airi while the girl chewed her lip in anger.  
Airi had always let Hana get away with much more than anyone else insult wise, but with everything new going on, she just couldn't take it anymore. Her fists clenched, muscles tensed to the point of cramping, and her mind screaming nothing but obscenities, she stood up calmly and turned to leave. As she did she said, "Fine, I will stop caring. Let Pon ruin what life _**left**_ you have to live, I don't care."  
That hit hurt, actually it stung, deep in Hana's chest in fact, but she felt she deserved it. It was more of the I'm-disappointed-in-you mother-like tone that hung heavy in Airi's words that made her friend's pain tangible. The pair of them had always been like extensions of one another, the concept of Hiroto had been driving a wedge between them for a long time coming. Well, since he had been corrupted by Mana. That was a big part of it. That was basically it.  
"Where are you going now?"  
Airi froze, hand wrapped around the brass door knob. "To the fight pit. New recruits need some breaking in."  
She turned the knob in her grasp, only to release it quickly in agitation when Hana continued. "What about Takanori's guys?"  
"They are almost here, I will have Uta take Tora and Kai to deal with them…Anything else?" Airi asked, the nerves were starting to wear thin now.  
"That one, with the noseband, he still bothering you?"  
"Mentally preoccupying me, is a better term. I can handle it."  
"Should I have Kai stay with you in case Chiyu acts out of place, and you need to be held back? I don't think Uru will help too much."  
Airi spun on her heels, standing slouched backwards with her hands on her hips, "I will be fine Hana... Is that all?"  
Hana could tell she was angry, easily, even though Airi had done her best not to be. Hana chose to stare at the desk while speaking instead of at her friend. "Listen," she began, "I don't really know what to do with myself anymore…I don't…didn't."  
Airi raised her knob-less hand in the air, silencing Hana as she caught the sight out of her peripherals. "You said what you feel. Right state of mind or not, you got it off your chest. Don't apologize for it."  
"But…"  
The door clicked and Airi spoke over her shoulder, the shadows of the hall and remnants of light that reached the doorway framing her. "I will live." The door closed after that, leaving Hana alone in her office to wallow in her half heated/half regret filled stupor. The irony of those last words Airi spoke hung heavy in her mind as she now looked out the window, hand clenched to her now vibrating cell phone. Airi would live, long after she wouldn't.


	13. Chapter 13

Cold night air hit the exposed bits of flesh as they stood at the back door of Pink Masquerade. Chiyu cocked his head sideways as he took in the sight of the men that were obviously sent to greet them. Well, two men and a short woman.  
The tiny lolita woman from the night before stood directly in front of the door smiling warmly. To her right a tall dark man loomed over her. Black hair, black clothes, and a leather jacket sat on the man who was obviously not entirely Japanese. On her left stood Kai who smiled at them all, he looked prim and proper with his dread locked hair held high on the back of his head and black vest sitting over his white dress shirt. He wore the same leather jacket the rest of the Kabuki Boyz wore. This was obviously their only form of uniform to be considered one of these heathens.  
"Ohayou," the small girl smiled and her two escorts bowed with her. The greeting a play on words that only seemed amusing to vampires.  
Ruki stepped forward and bowed with a grin, his men bowing with him in silence, "Ohayou, Uta."  
"It's good to see you came back, usually we scare people off." Ruki just responded with a smile and the slight bow of the head. Uta spoke again, "Tora," she waved simultaneously to each man at her sides, "and Kai will escort your men to Airi. I will take you and your lesser to Hana." Without any other form of warning she turned and walked to the door. Shinpei smiled and bounced in front of his boss after the woman.  
Ruki paused and turned his head to Reita, "Make sure no one pushes any unwanted buttons," he whispered.  
Reita scoffed, "Easier said than done."  
Straightening and adjusting his gloves, Ruki smiled, "I have faith in you." With that he walked on and followed through the waiting doorway, leaving his men to fend for themselves.

Ruki held back to mozy through the long halls as Shinpei bopped at the woman's side. He watched the scenery around him, hands held behind his back. He refused to stray from his path, making the much larger men move around him. This wasn't that big of a deal, as they nearly fell out of the way of the little Uta before him. He could only wonder why.  
The black glitter suited man silently took in his surroundings, ignoring Shinpei as he continued to talk Uta's ear off. Pale teal paint met in the center of the walls with black paneled wood. Ornate Victorian fixtures lit the way on either side of him. Frames of paintings, the light fixtures, and carpet all a glistening shade of deep black; simple, but classy was his only thought. Not what Ruki would have pin pointed as a biker lair, but these people seemed abstract in more ways than one.  
Looking before him Ruki couldn't help but laugh a little. The black and white lace clad gothic Lolita and the neon green decora man were smiling and giggling like four year olds. He had a feeling he was going to have to keep an eye on Shinpei for a while.  
Just as Ruki was beginning to wonder if Uta was paying attention, a semi familiar face rounded the corner.  
"Oi, Aiko," Uruha chided with a smile.  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT, KOUYOU!" she hissed loudly through a clenched jaw. Shinpei fell in shock and just stared. Ruki tried to stifle a laugh, he was supposed to be the dignified one after all.  
The strawberry blond smiled a wicked grin, "Sorry." He then turned and bowed to Ruki. "Sir," was all he said. Ruki returned the gesture and remained silent.  
"So where is the praying mantis?" Uruha asked Uta, seemingly ignoring Shinpei, which seemed to ruffle his feathers the wrong way from the look on his face.  
"Don't let her hear you call her that."  
"I am soooo terrified," he replied, the grin never leaving his face, "But really, any clue?"  
Uta ignored it and nodded towards a corridor, "She is in the training room. Tora and Kai are taking the others to her."  
Uruha rubbed his hands together, "Good," he said before making way down the proper hall, "we get to have some fun for a change." With one last bow to Ruki, he left for wherever this training room must have been.  
Ruki was watching the descending shape of the man left down the corridor when Uta spoke. "It's just around the corner, and we are there."  
"Where is that may I ask?" Ruki asked gaining composure and falling back in step behind her.  
"We call it Hana's viewing room, but it is really just like a balcony booth at a theatre. It sits atop the rest of club."

They sat alone in the gothic Victorian booth. Ruki tapped his fingers on the arm of his plush black and gold throne like seat while Hana poured a burgundy liquid into two flute shaped glasses. His eyes were enthralled with the spasming orgy that bounced down below. A dancing human was always something that captivated a vampire and lights mesmerized as the bodies swayed beneath them. You could almost hear the body shaking beats that would fly from the speakers when the crowd would move in unison. Ruki was surprised though, one would have thought that the room they sat in would have been loud beyond reason thanks to the night club being directly below, but it wasn't.  
"Sound proof walls are an amazing thing," Hana smiled as she placed herself gently in the only other chair in the room, beside Ruki.  
He snapped out of his trance and smiled as he took the glass of wine from her. The liquid felt like velvet as it slid down his throat, "I forgot how much I liked wine."  
Hana giggled slightly and took a sip of her own drink. "It is about the only thing I can actually drink," she said and set her glass on the small round table top.  
"Why is that?" he questioned, opting to keep his glass in his hands.  
"I am very ill, many of the medications and treatments will cause my body to reject if I drank pure alcohol. Except wine," she said pressing the glass to her lips again, "Wine is allowed."  
Ruki nodded and stared at the scenery beyond the glass again, only now Hana did the same. This must have been why she stayed here, inside, and not with the rest of the gang. Hana was sick, and if a treatment could reject that meant it was serious. Hana had to be very sick.  
Her loud sigh awoke his mind to the forehand again. "So, obviously we have to talk about the urgent matters at hand. But I want to talk about something else first." Ruki looked her in the eye, a silent signal that he was ready to listen and apprehensive. "What exactly do you plan on gaining from joining us in our little crusade? This isn't something people would normally jump into, especially when we were your enemies not so long ago."  
Ruki paused and thought deeply for a moment while he stared blankly at the floor beside his foot. The words needed to be proper for this to be understood. He nodded to himself, taking the last swig of his drink and began. He stared pensively out of the glass as he spoke, "I started this organization decades ago with no one but Reita at my side. We were policemen at one time, but neither of us cared for the pointless monotony that we had to deal with day in and day out. So we left and started tracking cases ourselves. Gradually more people joined us and we actually became an alliance with the police force we once left. Our missions veered from anything we could find, to vampire specifics. That is more or less why the police sought our help, they never wanted to pursue crimes in the vampire community and once we found Aoi and Chiyu, that was all we did. We had our team and it has been the same ever since."  
Ruki inhaled deeply and slowly turned back to look at Hana. She had been listening attentively, something most people of power didn't do these days, and he was grateful for it. He leaned against the arm of the chair, propped up on an elbow, and fingers laced still in his lap. The sincerity in his face couldn't be mistaken. "I started this to do good for our people, and my men have been with me through thick and thin for the same reason. If that means silently cutting our ties with our old alliances to make new ones, so be it. But your mission is the same as ours. These streets don't need the mayhem that they have been handed. We will do whatever it takes to see that fixed."  
Hana nodded, "That is more or less what I was hoping to hear. Our men, the people in our gang, have suffered too much in their lives. Airi had been a part of this gang when I met her. The leader died," she laughed once, "from cancer of all things. Go figure. But he left Airi in charge. There was utter chaos in the beginning, she nearly died herself while attempting to gain their trust. I even told her she was crazy and suicidal to keep at it. She ignored the world and kept at it. She actually built the racetrack up from the old junkyard it was, that was around when I was initiated."  
She shook her head and brought focus back to the matter at hand. "Today, we are the elite, and we generally turn away no one. We take in hoodlums, ruffians, thieves, you name it. Airi whips them in shape, I find out where they are best suited and we go from there. This gang has built a name for itself, whether it is a good or bad one remains to be seen. There is no denying our power. Even if it is simply over the street gangs, but they still run this city, and we control them. The Kabuki Boyz run the only racetrack worth going too if you are good at what you do."  
She sighed and turned to look below again, "The point that I am trying to get across is that we care deeply for our deformed family. That is what this gang is, our family. We have risen from the lowest form of life on the food chain, and now we are the top." A long pause for contemplation and she said, "We will do whatever is possible to protect what is ours. And I mean whatever. As blatant as that may seem."  
Ruki smiled, and stood empty glass in hand, "Then we won't have any problems."  
"Good, feel free to make yourself at home," she said with a wave of your hand.  
"Say that," Ruki said turning towards the bar, "And I will leave you with a severe lack of this wine." Hana laughed as he filled his glass quickly and sat back down. "Now on to politics," he said crossing a leg and falling back in his chair.

Giggles filled the silent booth some hours later. "Sooo," Ruki drawled, "how do you think my boys are fairing with your girlfriend there."  
Hana was giggling simply because she loved seeing the high and mighty act like drunken idiots. They were well on their way to finishing a second bottle of wine, with Hana only on her third glass. "I am sure she is behaving herself."  
"Good, because I think Reita has a thing for her." He turned and pressed a finger to his lip, "But shhh, don't tell Chiyu."  
She rolled her eyes, "Trust me, I won't."  
"I think Aoi is thinking bad thoughts about that gangly one, too," Ruki said while staring at the ceiling as if it were an ornate painting.  
Hana had to gulp roughly to avoid spitting her drink across the carpet. She burst into laughter, "I need a little more that the gangly one to know who you are talking about."  
Ruki made a squished face and waved his hand around in the air, "You know, the one that is always with the she-wolf."  
Hana couldn't hold back her laughter, "You mean Uruha?"  
"Yeah that sounds right."  
She smirked into the glass again and whispered to herself, "Oh this is seriously going to be fun."  
"So," he said that word a lot when drunk, Hana noticed. "What happens now?"  
"Well, I am staying here unless something dire happens. I like watching the people."  
"As do I. I will stay here too." Ruki was solemnly nodding now as if he were in deep conversation.  
"Good," Hana spoke into her glass to surpress more laughter. Now mumbling to herself, "This way you won't get in the way."


	14. Chapter 14

"Tora!" Chiyu yelled happily before embracing the strangely foreign man that had stood next to Uta. Kai turned and left through the door quickly only to receive a concerned stare from Reita.  
Aoi nearly slapped himself full strength in the head when he face palmed, Reita just shook his head and laughed. Aoi whispered more to himself than to Reita, "Why does he know nothing and then suddenly know everyone!"  
Reita grinned, "Because he subconsciously wants to ruin your life." Aoi shook his head and disbelief and slowly snapped back to attention. Might as well figure out what is going on.  
The two men were grinning ear to ear as they talked as if they were brothers. "Fancy, the circumstances we meet again, huh?" the man named Tora said and poked Chiyu in the chest with his fist.  
Chiyu rocked on his heels and scratched his head, "Yeah, it is all a little odd. But I can't believe you're here!"  
Tora nodded, "Airi left the garage not too long after you guys split. Found out it was because she got promoted in the Kabuki Boyz. Couple months later, she showed up battle scarred and victorious, new leader status in full swing. She offered me a job and I never looked back."  
"It's good she took care of you."  
"She always does," Tora joked, ignoring an awkward glance from Chiyu, and looked at the other men that joined them, "Introduce me, moron."  
Chiyu looked shocked and stuttered to do as commanded. He waved at the brunette, "Aoi, and the one with the nose thing is Reita."  
Aoi rolled his eyes and Reita ignored Chiyu all together. Reaching a hand out, Aoi said, "Anyone who realizes Chiyu's true form is okay in my book." Tora shook his hand with a laugh.  
Reita did the same, "Seriously, he isn't the brightest bulb around."  
Chiyu scoffed, "You're just jealous of my awesome."  
"Says the man who forgets how to use his own cell phone on a regular basis," Aoi drawled.  
"These touch fuckers are too damn difficult to work! It's not my fault!."  
"Come on," Tora laughed and turned for the door, "We better get going or we are going to miss all the entertainment."  
Three sets of brows furrowed. "Entertainment?"

"So here is the deal," Tora said, hands in front of him as if he were bracing for impact. Reita and Aoi stood hands across their chest with Chiyu and his side cocked head, all confused. The one thing they knew, something was going on behind the metal meat locker door that they now stood in front of. Loud rambling that sounded oddly like a crowd of baboons came from the opposite side.  
"This isn't one of those holding cells again is it? Cause that door looks awfully familiar," Chiyu asked pointing at it.  
"No, there won't be any more of that," Tora laughed.  
"Good," Aoi admitted.  
Tora looked up and beyond them, sending another wave of confusion before Aoi suddenly understood and jumped forward. "Howdy, boys," breathed down Aoi's neck. The only logical reaction was to spring forward. Spinning around he saw Chiyu and Reita laughing at him, with Uruha smirking in the place he just stood. "Did I scare you?"  
Aoi rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head slightly, his pride had taken a blow. "Good," Uruha smiled. This man barely seemed to stop smiling, Aoi realized. He then turned to Tora, "Given the intro speech yet?" Tora shook his head. "Good, I'll do it."  
"So," Uruha bounced between Aoi and Tora, "the deal is that we are about to enter our training room." Eyebrows raised. "You are only as strong as your weakest member, Airi always says. So when you are recruited you learn to fight. If fighting isn't for you, you simply learn how to defend. Either way we teach our gang bangers how to survive, without using guns."  
"But we all have them and are trained to use them as well. We would die without guns," Tora interrupted. "The point is that if you can't defend yourself honorably, you can't be a part of what we offer. Not to mention if the guns fail you should be able to take down your enemy either way."  
Uruha nodded, "Here is where we teach combat and all sorts of ways to fight with all sorts of weapons. Airi oversees everyone's development and stops in every now and then to teach and perfect the newbies. When she does this, elder members of the gang come in for fine tuning too."  
"Nobody else teaches?" Reita asked.  
"Well, Hana and Airi teach the first lessons, then Kai takes over with Tora's help. They are the babysitters." Uruha looked at Tora who met his eyes with a glare. Uruha laughed in success, "When it is time for their progress report, I go in with Airi and she kicks people in to shape." "Tonight shouldn't be too intense. We are just getting the bearings today, without me, may I add," he said as an uproar came from behind the door.  
Necks snapped again as another voice came from behind them. "I think you will be surprised with how far these ones have come, though," it was Kai and he was now standing again where Aoi had been before Uruha's little surprise. "Sorry for leaving earlier," he said to the others, "Security had an issue." The men in their little makeshift circle nodded.  
Uruha clapped his hands on his sides, "So, shall we? Come tell me about the newbies, Kai." Uruha was already turned and sliding the door open as Kai walked to his side.  
The metallic swoosh sent a wave of echoing roars onto the ears of the six men. Uruha and Kai walked in unphased as Tora said, "Just follow me, it's really not that bad."  
Aoi stepped in first after Tora. "Not that bad," he said, "It it is a mob of gorillas."


	15. Chapter 15

A small chuckle came from the men strewn about the room, no movement was made as they watched their master. "Well," she raised an eyebrow and looked around the room, "Really… Get the fuck out." Laughter and chides hit the air again as the mass of testosterone made waves for the door. Punches were exchanged, people were tossed around, but nothing seemed dreadfully serious as Reita stood tensed in anticipation. The large towering mass of Kouki moved towards his alpha through the throngs of men with ease. Uruha nodded at the men around him for them to do the same.  
"Reika," Airi barked at a man who walked past her in that very instant. A man of her height, tanned in some unnatural way, turned to her with an unamused look upon his face and head slightly tilted to his left in mock boredom. As if there were more than one Reika in the room, four other men stopped with him, equally unpleased with the half made order to stop.  
Kouki and the other men reached the girl as she spoke solely to the displeased man at your side. "Listen," she said in a cool tone. The hint of authority was not unrecognizable though as she continued, "I understand you are upset that you didn't get to test the new blood tonight. But there are more important matters at hand and I need you and your men." Reika obviously give more attention but was unwilling to show it. The men behind him grew more pleased as they perked up waited for orders.  
Aoi whispered through his teeth to Reita, "Puppets, all of them…AH." Uruha looked at him sideways while Aoi rubbed his ribcage, unsure of why the man had hit him so bluntly.  
"I need you to go get coordinates from Hana. We need the perimeter of the new halfway to be secured, I will be right behind you." To anyone else it may have sounded like an offer, and Reika was making it seem that way. Yet, even to the new men in the atmosphere, it was unmistakably a command.  
"Just secure it?" were the only words Reika uttered.  
"In any way you see fit, but you leave now or I give the offer to Tomo. He won't dawdle," she threatened cooly.  
Reika bowed quickly and muttered a, "Yes, taicho," and nodded towards the door. His men bounded behind him as he left the doorway.  
Airi turned to Kouki and he instantly began spewing what seemed to be information. "Uta left as soon as their boss was secure, she pinpointed the location and has it under surveillance with her team. She is just waiting for back up, I wasn't sure if I should send for men from the track."  
"No that's fine, how far is it approximately?"  
"Unsure, Hana is mapping it out as we speak."  
"Good," Airi stepped from the small crowd of men that were left in the large room alone, and waved towards the door, "Follow and talk."  
Kouki seemed unflustered as he turned and followed in step with his superior. Kai, Tora and Uruha joined, on heels, as the rest clammered to catch up. They were new to this after all.  
"The building is apparently some sort of abandoned psychiatric hospital. Estimated 90 occupants," Kouki stammered out. The monotony laced with a hint of eager adrenaline gave the impression that this wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened.  
They wandered with intent down the hallways, turning this way and that. Chiyu thought silently to himself that he would never remember all of these passageways, while Aoi wondered what could possibly be so important it needed coordinates. Aoi turned to look at Reita who didn't seem to be unnerved in the slightest, simply taking in the information that was being spewed in front of them. The raven haired man rolled his eyes.  
"Should I have your bike readied?" Kouki asked as they came to a halt before two large black wooden doors.  
The girl turned and locked eyes with Aoi, "You came by schouffer?" Aoi froze for a second and then nodded quickly. Chiyu laughed at his display of awkwardness and received a slap in the arm as payment once Airi had turned. "No," she said, "I will take my car. Go and see if you can catch up to Reika before he leaves, I can feel his presence in the garage. We will be behind you."  
Kouki nodded, turned, and fled down the hall without recognition of anyone else. Airi turned and pulled the double doors open. As they flung open, Airi slid past them with ease and marched in without hesitation. Aoi held the arms of his comrades as the three other men followed their leader.  
"What?" Chiyu asked in agitation as he was forced to stay behind  
"Has anyone else noticed that these people don't really act like a gang? Besides the whole fight club motif, that is," Aoi asked as he continued to hold the arms of the men at his sides. Reita squirmed, not seeing why he needed to be restrained with such a death like grip, but Chiyu just cocked a hip and relaxed at his side.  
Chiyu nodded his head as if he understood, "Yeah, this is more like some form of mob. Not a street gang."  
Reita laughed out loud and shook his head as he pulled his arm free from Aoi's grip. Aoi let loose only after being caught off guard at his friend's unexpected outburst. Rubbing his abused arm, Reita stared back at the confused looks he was receiving. "What?" Aoi shrugged his shoulders sarcastically, the nosebanded blonde didn't even know that was possible, yet he could see the sarcasm in his friend's posture. "You guys don't get it do you?" He received more blank staring in response. Reita could only shake his head as he stepped away from his friends and moved towards the open doors. "Really?" he said over his shoulder, "Isn't it obvious? They act like us. They are an organization."  
Aoi and Chiyu stared after Reita who wandered to the rear of the mock circle inside of the now exposed room. The dark haired one looked up to the other, "I hate him sometimes."  
Chiyu glowered in the same direction, "I dislike him every now and then too."  
"Do you have any clue what the hell is going on that is so urgent?" Aoi asked Chiyu, now with arms folded and facing him head on.  
Chiyu shrugged, "As much of a clue as you got."  
"Hey guys!" the voice came from Reita within the room.  
"What! We are talking about you and we are a little busy!" Aoi responded.  
"You may want to see this," Reita called with a laugh.  
"What now?" Chiyu asked as he pushed into the room.  
The tall blonde erupted in laughter upon entering the room, Aoi jostled in after him to see what the commotion was about. The rest of the people that were in their company were avidly discussing something over top of a map strewn out on a bar counter, yet his colleagues were staring at the other end of the room.  
On the couch that sat along the opposing wall laid a short man. The short glittery man was the one that they called their boss. Aoi burst into a fit of giggles at the sight. There lay the sequins clothed male lying on his back against the leather couch. He was snoring loudly through his open mouth, clutching an empty bottle of wine to his chest.  
Reita shook his head while the others continued to take amusement at the sight. "They gave him alcohol. Bad idea."  
"More like fed it to him," Airi said as she was now turned towards them and smiling devilishly. She moved away from the bar with the men close on her heels. "Come on, we have to move." With that she was gone from the room.  
Left alone with Hana and the man Reita remembered as Shou, Aoi was opening his mouth to ask why they had done such a thing. He was forced to quickly close his mouth before the words escaped as the small woman left the back of the bar and was spinning him forcefully in the opposite direction.  
Hana placed both hands in the center of Aoi's back and forced him to move towards the door. She cut off any form of protest with an earnest, "Not now, time is of the essence. Catch up or you will be left behind." One quick shove and Aoi was lost behind the doorway. She had a hold of a gawking Reita and a confused Chiyu by the arms as she dragged them hastily towards the exit and tossed them out.  
With a yank of the handles the doors were closed. Hana wiped her hands on themselves and turned to smile at Shou. He grinned as he leaned against the bar with his chin in his hand, propped up on his elbow. "So," he said, silvery blonde hair falling in his face, "Do you think they will survive?"  
"Time will tell," Hana shrugged. Ruki let out a loud grunt like snore before he rolled over clutching the empty bottle as if it were a child. Hana laughed once and shook her head, "That part of the plan was too easy."  
"So what do we do with the tipsy smurf if he wakes up?" Shou asked.  
Hana scratched her head, "I never thought that far."  
"Lock him in here and make it look like an accident?"  
Hana pointed a finger at Shou, "Good plan."


End file.
